Consequences
by BoomerCat
Summary: The events of the episodes "Frozen" and "The Abyss" have serious consequences for Jonas Quinn. Jonaswhump
1. Chapter 1

Jonas Quinn rotated his shoulder with a sigh. There was no doubt in his mind that the member of SG6 had slammed into him in the hallway intentionally regardless of the smirking apology. If Sgt. Delgado thought the not-so-subtle animosity would make him quit, he was sadly mistaken. Jonas Quinn was nothing if not persistent.

Entering his lab, Jonas immediately grabbed the universal remote and turned on both the television and the CD player. His music of choice these days was a style called Big Band. It sounded a bit like the music from his homeworld, but not much. The television was turned, as usual, to his favorite channel, The Weather Channel. He watched for a moment as a documentary on storm chasing played out.

He absentmindedly flicked on his electric teakettle, eyes still glued to the screen. He wondered what it would be like to see one of this world's tornadoes in person. They had an elegant ferocity that fascinated him. Kelowna's geology was such that tornadoes were so rare as to be mythical. To seek one out as the people in the program did, seemed to him to be the height of foolishness, but he couldn't help a certain wistful longing.

Shaking his head at the fancy, Jonas turned to his computer screen and the translation of the cryptic tablets SG9 found on P2Q-111. Recognizing a few of the glyphs, he went to a bookshelf and pulled out one of Dr. Jackson's notebooks. Settling down with the notebook and the screen, he got to work.


	2. Lunch

Several hours later, he was again rotating his shoulder to relieve a stiffening bruise, when a soft voice called from the doorway. "Jonas? You okay?"

Jonas immediately arrested the movement, and looked up with a grin. "Sure, Major. Just get a little stiff sitting here."

Sam Carter wrinkled her nose. "What is that you're listening to?"

Momentarily cocking his ear, he replied, "Uh, Tuxedo Junction. The Glenn Miller Orchestra."

Sam rolled her eyes. "You have that translation yet? General Hammond wants a report."

"Well, I have most of it. I can give a preliminary report now, but if he can wait an hour or so, I can have the whole thing."

"Does it say anything important?"

Jonas shrugged. "No, not really. I mean, it's a pretty comprehensive account of a meeting between Ra and Heru'ur some fifty years ago, but there's nothing here that we haven't heard or seen before."

"Then why don't you just leave it? Tell Hammond what you have, and let the rest go."

Jonas frowned. "Uh, I've still got two more tablets. It's true I haven't come across anything important yet, but there could be something here…"

Sam raised a skeptical eyebrow. Jonas felt his shoulders slump. "Okay, the truth is, I just don't like to leave things unfinished."

Sam smiled in understanding. "You're what we call a workaholic, Jonas. Come on, we'll go report to General Hammond, then we'll get some lunch."

Jonas brightened. It was always easier to face the commissary in the company of one of his teammates. With someone to talk to, he could ignore the open hostility he so often faced otherwise. "Okay."

As they walked down the corridor, Jonas asked tentatively, "Have you seen Colonel O'Neill lately?"

Sam's face darkened. "Teal'c and I went to visit him yesterday."

Refusing to let the hurt at being left behind show, he forged ahead. "And? How is he?"

"He's… recovering."

"Does he blame me?" Jonas blurted it out without thinking. It was something that had been hanging over him since Antarctica, but he was mortified that he had so little control. Shaking his head, he hastily back-pedaled. "Don't answer that. I don't want to know."

Sam had stopped dead in her tracks, a look of stunned confusion gracing her features. "Blame you for what, Jonas?"

Cheeks burning, Jonas couldn't look at her. "It doesn't matter. Forget I asked."

To his surprise, Sam seemed ready to do just that. In silence, she led the way to General Hammond's office, where he gave a brief preliminary report. SG4's commander, Major Aldritch, stuck his head in, asking for a moment of the General's time, and given the lack of vital information, Hammond waved him in, and dismissed Sam and Jonas.

Jonas half expected Sam to beg off the lunch, but still silent, she led the way to the commissary. It was still a bit early, so there were few people in line. Jonas could smell the beef stew from the doorway. It was one of his favorite dishes, but when he saw the server was SFC. Wright, he ducked his head and grabbed a prepackaged sandwich instead. He took a banana and a carton of milk and looking around, found a quiet table in a corner.

He sat with his back to the rest of the diners, and started in on the sandwich, only realizing after the first bite that it was ham and cheese, one of his least favorites. He'd almost forgotten Sam was there until she casually plopped her tray on the table across from him. It seemed totally unfair to him that she had two bowls of stew while he had the dry-as-dust sandwich.

Sam sat back watching him for a minute before crossing her arms. "All right, Jonas. What's going on?"

Caught off-guard by the comment, Jonas stopped chewing. "What do you mean, Major?"

Sam stared for a moment, then nodded at the sandwich. "You don't like ham and cheese."

Jonas put down the half-eaten sandwich. "No, I don't. Not really."

"Then why are you eating it?"

"I thought it was turkey."

"Jonas, what is going on?" Sam's voice took on a hard demanding note.

Jonas had already decided that he wasn't going to complain about the treatment he had been receiving at the SGC. When he had first come to Earth, he had faced the same kind of hostility. People had blamed him for Dr. Jackson's death, and in truth, he agreed with them. All the little nasty tricks and mean treatment had seemed justified. Then he had joined SG1, and overnight, things had improved. Oh, there were still those who would sooner dance with a Goa'uld than talk to him, but for the most part the intentional mistreatment had stopped.

But then SG1 had gone to Antarctica, where an Ancient had been found frozen in the ice. To everyone's shock and amazement, when the body had thawed, the Ancient, dubbed Ayiana, had come to life. Jonas had seen it as his job to try and communicate with her. He'd been successful only because of her superior intelligence.

He'd developed a rapport with Ayiana, but it turned out she was carrying a deadly disease. When one of the Antarctic base scientists came down with the disease, it was only Ayiana's unearthly powers that had saved the woman. As the disease spread to others on the base, it had become obvious that Ayiana would not be able to save them all, as each person she healed drained her of life force.

Jonas had become as deathly ill as everyone else on the base, and had fallen into a comatose state. He had been surprised to wake up with Ayiana leaning over him, looking as white as a sheet. He was as dismayed as anyone to find that she had been able to save everyone but Colonel O'Neill, who became so ill, that the only chance to save his life was to blend with a Tok'ra.

When they had returned to the SGC, the news of the incident spread like wildfire, and somewhat unexpectedly, Jonas found that people once again blamed him for the near loss of one of the SGC's most respected commanders. At first, he tried to defend himself, pointing out that he had been unconscious at the time, and that he would have insisted that Ayiana healed Colonel O'Neill first if he'd had a choice. But he soon realized that nothing he said would change things.

Jonas had assumed people would get over their anger when Colonel O'Neill returned from the Tok'ra, whole and healthy. But in a cruel twist of fate, the Tok'ra O'Neill blended with was a renegade amongst his kind. Instead of the sharing that the Tok'ra touted as their way, Kanan had taken over O'Neill's body, and gone to the fortress of the Goa'uld System Lord, Ba'al, who had captured him and tortured Colonel O'Neill.

Although Colonel O'Neill had escaped and returned to the SGC, Jonas knew that some people would never forgive him for what they perceived as his part in the affair.

Jonas looked at Major Carter, waiting expectantly for an answer. He shook his head. "Nothing I can't handle."

Sam looked pointedly at his sandwich, then pushed one of her bowls of stew across the table. "Uh-huh."

Jonas looked at the bowl, weighing what accepting it would mean, then with a mental shrug, pulled it the rest of the way, mumbling, "Thanks, Major."

Sam watched him wolfing down the stew, and with a sigh, pushed the second bowl across to him. "You're welcome."

Jonas concentrated on his meal, hoping to evade any further questions. He was halfway through the second bowl when he made the mistake of glancing up at the blonde woman. Taking it as a sign, Sam asked quietly, "Jonas, what did you mean about Colonel O'Neill blaming you?"

His appetite suddenly gone, he pushed the bowl away. He had always been a straightforward man, and when confronted, he looked Sam in the eye and simply said, "Major, if Ayiana had healed Colonel O'Neill first, none of this with Kanan or Ba'al would ever have happened."

Sam stared at him, dumbstruck for a moment. Jonas sat waiting for her to say something. When he put it so baldly, it seemed ridiculous. But then, it had seemed ridiculous to him from the first time when he'd been cornered in a hallway and accused by a couple of very large marines.

Blinking Sam said, "So you think it would have been better if Ayiana had healed the colonel and left you to die?"

Jonas shrugged, "I'm younger, and as Doctor Frasier says, different from other humans. I might have survived."

"That's a crock, and you know it. You were as sick as anybody else."

"Maybe."

Sam shook her head in disgust. "And you think Colonel O'Neill is so petty that he'd blame you for Ayiana healing you? You need to get over yourself, Jonas."

Sam got up and left the table, leaving Jonas feeling as petty as her accusation. Looking at his unfinished lunch, he sighed and got up. Courtesy demanded that he clean off the table for the next person, so he picked up the remains and took the tray and its dishes to the bussing station. He ignored the SF who jabbed him in the ribs, and sidestepped the sudden leg thrust out by a maintenance tech, and headed back to his office.


	3. Mission

Sometime later, Jonas looked up as his phone rang. He'd finished the translation of the tablets from P5W-871 and had started on some scroll fragments found on P6J-483. Rubbing at his eyes, he picked up the phone. "This is Jonas."

"Sir, General Hammond would like you to join a briefing." Master Sergeant Harriman said succinctly.

"Now?"

"Yes sir. Right now."

"Okay, I'm on my way." Jonas hung up the phone and headed for the General's conference room. With SG1 on stand down until Colonel O'Neill was cleared for duty, Jonas had been catching up on the ubiquitous backlog of artifacts. As much as he enjoyed the puzzles the various artifacts represented, he was pretty tired of just sitting around. He hoped the briefing would give him an opportunity to do something else. Maybe work with Sam Carter on a science project, or even go off-world with Teal'c.

With high hopes, he entered the conference room, but seeing SG4 all seated around the table, staring hard at him, he came to a halt. "Uh, General, you wanted me?"

The general smiled briefly, "Yes, Mr. Quinn, please take a seat."

Jonas could feel the waves of disapproval coming from the four-man team as he moved to an empty seat. The members of SG4, Aldritch, Nakamura, Owen and Dr. Warburton were among the most aggressive of his antagonists. Determined not to let them see that he was bothered, he sat down, and turned his attention to General Hammond.

"Mr. Quinn, a UAV survey has located what appears to be a temple on P8Z-687. Doctor, if you'd continue please?"

"Yes, well, the temple appears to be situated at the top of a mountain. The structure seems to be related to the ruins found on P4X-639."

Jonas felt his interest sharpen. The ruins on P4X-639 were of the Ancients, the original designers and builders of the stargates. Anything that could be gleaned from such ruins could be invaluable in stopping the Goa'uld.

"The stargate is located at the base of the mountain, approximately 20 miles from the temple itself… General, I can make that climb. Granted, it might take me a little longer, but sir, that temple's been there for ten thousand years. An extra day or two isn't going to make a difference."

"Sir, I agree with Bob. I'd just as soon use my own team for this. If we have to carry him up the mountain, then so be it. We're a team, and we work best that way." Major Aldritch said, leaving Jonas a bit confused as to what the problem was.

"I understand the advantage of keeping your team intact, Major, but to what end? Dr. Frasier has refused to clear Dr. Warburton until his asthma is under control. Climbing that mountain is not going to happen."

General Hammond turned to Warburton. "And even if you were healthy enough for the trip, what could you do once you got there? Unless you've been studying on the sly, Doctor, you have no skill at translating Ancient." General Hammond shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to sit this one out. Mr. Quinn, you will be accompanying SG4 to P8Z-687."

"Yes sir." Jonas replied, knowing it was expected. The idea of spending several days with SG4 was daunting, but there was no way Jonas could refuse without giving a reason. As hard as his life was, he wasn't about to make it any harder by further alienating the people on the base.

"All right. You'll leave tomorrow at 0900. Ten days, people. Dismissed." General Hammond stood up, having given the orders. Not wanting the confrontation, Jonas hurried out of the room. With SG1, he would have stuck around, getting instructions from Colonel O'Neill on who was responsible for what, but the anger of the members of SG4 was palpable, and Jonas felt it better to give them some space.


	4. Chat

Late in the afternoon, Jonas had finished loading his pack with the tools and notebooks he assumed he'd need for the trip to P8Z-687. He looked around his office going over a mental checklist, but he knew perfectly well that he hadn't forgotten anything. He never forgot things. Realizing he was just putting off the inevitable, he put the pack aside, and headed decisively for Sam Carter's lab.

Given her anger at lunch, he wasn't really looking forward to talking with her, but it was his responsibility to let her know he would be leaving with SG4 in the morning. Entering the physics lab, he found Sam bent over a device on a table. "Uh, Major? Can I interrupt for a moment?"

Sam looked up and smiled. "Hey Jonas. I was going to come see you a little later. I wanted to apologize for being so nasty in the commissary. I realize that our customs here are different for you. I shouldn't have gotten angry."

Jonas held up a hand to stop her. "No, Major, you were right. Colonel O'Neill is not a petty man. I know he wouldn't blame me for something I couldn't control."

Sam frowned. Jonas could see her mind working out what was implied, that O'Neill did blame Jonas for what he felt Jonas could have controlled… the Kelownan government's accusation of Dr. Jackson. Not wanting to dredge that up again, Jonas threw out a distracting comment. "I was a doofus."

Sam's eyebrows shot up, and she blurted out a laugh. "A doofus?"

Jonas affected a frown. "Um, a butt head?"

"Jonas! No, you are not a butt head. Or a doofus, either," Sam paused. "Well, okay, maybe a doofus."

Jonas laughed. "Okay, I'm a doofus. Listen, Major, I came to tell you that General Hammond has ordered me to go offworld with SG4 tomorrow. I'll be gone for ten days."

"SG4? Why? What's up?"

"They've discovered some Ancient ruins on P8Z-687. Dr. Warburton isn't qualified to translate, and besides, Dr. Frasier won't clear him for offworld duty because of some issue with his asthma."

Sam frowned. "This should be a mission for SG1. Is there some kind of rush? Can't it wait until Colonel O'Neill is back on duty?"

Jonas shrugged, refusing to get his hopes up. "I didn't think to ask."

Sam looked at him pensively. "Are you okay with this, Jonas? Because if you're not, I can go see General Hammond right now."

Jonas weighed the options and concluded having Sam go to the general was likely to cause more trouble than he needed. "No, Major, I'm fine. I'm sure General Hammond has his reasons for wanting it done now."

Sam didn't look convinced. She stared hard at Jonas, and he had to fight to not squirm under the scrutiny. With a curt nod, she said, "I think I'll have a talk with Aldritch anyway."

"Why?"

"Jonas, he doesn't like you. You know that, and I know that. I'm just going to make sure he's clear on a few things."

Jonas started to shake his head, frowning, but Sam stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Don't worry about it, Jonas. It's an SG1 tradition to threaten any team that borrows a member. If Colonel O'Neill were here, believe me, he'd be giving Aldritch holy heck."

Realizing Sam was determined, Jonas schooled his face to indifference and shrugged. "Okay, if you think it's necessary, but I really don't think you should bother."

Sam caught his eye. "Jonas, you're part of the team. Like I said, it's tradition."

Still unconvinced that it wasn't just buying trouble, Jonas nevertheless smiled. "I've got to go. I need to get packed."

Sam nodded, and Jonas left her believing he had something to do. He started for his quarters, but then headed for his office, deciding to go over the UAV data from P8Z-687. He detoured once when he saw several beefy marines stopped in the hallway chatting. None of these particular men had given him any trouble, but he saw no point in taking the chance.

Reaching the sanctuary of his office, he went through the routine of turning on the television and CD player, partly because his mind was just naturally able to multi-task, but in truth, because he found the quiet oppressive, a constant reminder of how alone he was. He used his computer to bring up the relevant data, and soon was absorbed in looking over the images.


	5. Breakfast

Early the next morning, Jonas was in the commissary eating his breakfast. Despite his qualms about SG4, he was feeling upbeat. The images he had studied the evening before had been very intriguing, and he couldn't wait to get close enough to study the ruins.

Based on what he had seen, he'd repacked his pack with a different set of notebooks, and had brought one in particular with him to breakfast. He was poring over Daniel Jackson's cogent and concise notes as he absentmindedly ate his pancakes, when a shadow caused him to look up.

Dr. Robert Warburton loomed threateningly over the table. Jonas hid his sudden apprehension behind an attentive look, and asked, "Can I do something for you, Dr. Warburton?"

"This is just a warning. You try any of your murderous little tricks with my team, and if they don't gut you, I will."

Despite knowing the senior archeologist despised him, Jonas was taken aback by the venom in the man's tone. He froze, unable to come up with a reply. Warburton stared down at Jonas with naked hatred.

"JonasQuinn, may I join you?"

Both men looked up, startled. Teal'c stood towering over the archeologist, a tray loaded with breakfast items in his hands. Although he made no overt threat, Warburton paled and hurried away. Jonas watched him go, then turned to the still politely waiting Jaffa. "Hey, Teal'c. Good morning. Please, sit."

"Thank you. You rested well?"

"Uh, yeah, I did. How about you? Good Kelnorim?"

"Yes." Teal'c cocked an eyebrow. "Major Carter advised me that you are to go offworld with SG4."

Jonas glanced at his watch. "Yes, in about three hours. We're going to P8Z-687. There are some ruins that might be Ancient in origin. I'll be gone for ten days."

"Are you concerned?"

The straightforward question caught Jonas offguard. He took a bite of pancake to give himself a moment to consider the question. "You mean about being offworld with another team? I won't say I wouldn't prefer to go with SG1, but I'd be pretty useless if I could only work with three people. Dr. Jackson went offworld with a variety of teams over the years, and he got along just fine."

Teal'c didn't say anything, just continued to eat, a questioning eye on the Kelownan. Jonas ducked his head in embarrassment. "Uh, I didn't mean to compare myself to Dr. Jackson. I just meant I'm, uh, not concerned."

"JonasQuinn, you must not fear comparison. I believe you do indeed compare to DanielJackson in many respects. It does not dishonor his memory that you seek to emulate him."

Jonas shook his head in self-disgust. Sam Carter was right. He really did need to get over himself. "Thanks, Teal'c. No, I'm not worried. I have no doubt that SG4 will be professional, and so will I."

Teal'c cocked his head, weighing his teammate's words. He inclined his head, turning his attention back to his breakfast. "Colonel O'Neill will be back on duty when you return."

Jonas' eyebrows climbed. "Really? I thought he was going to be on medical leave for at least another month."

"Yes. Doctor Frasier has stated that O'Neill will need at least a month. However, she does not take into account the fact that O'Neill is a warrior. He will return within a few days."

Jonas knew that the Jaffa knew Colonel O'Neill so well that if he said the man would be back, then he would. Jonas suppressed the little niggle of desire to postpone the mission to P8Z-687 until the silver-haired Colonel had returned. It wasn't up to him, and even if the colonel was back on duty early, it didn't mean he'd be fit enough for a twenty-mile hike up a mountainside. He nodded. "That's good news."

Teal'c continued to look at the Kelownan, his eyes hooded. "SG4 will make regular contact with General Hammond. If you wish, you can ask to speak with Colonel O'Neill."

Jonas frowned. "About what?"

"JonasQuinn, should your position with SG4 become difficult, you need only ask to speak with Colonel O'Neill."

Jonas shifted uneasily. "Teal'c, do you think that's likely? I mean, regardless of personal animosity, there's a job to be done. Do you think Major Aldritch would jeopardize that?"

Teal'c paused, then shook his head. "I have worked with the Tau'ri for many years now, yet I still can not answer your question with any certainty. I wish only for your safety. If Major Aldritch or anyone else causes you discomfort, you need only tell me, and I shall deal with it."

Unsure whether he was touched or alarmed by Teal'c's willingness to defend him, Jonas smiled tentatively. "Thanks, Teal'c, but I can handle myself. You should know better than anyone. You're the one who taught me."

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow. "You are indeed an apt student. However sparring in the gym and fighting for real are two different matters."

"So you've told me. Well, the trick is to not let it come to an actual fight. I can usually talk my way out of trouble, so I'm not worried."

"Nevertheless, if your position becomes difficult, remember you need only contact Colonel O'Neill and your team will come." Teal'c intoned.

Not accustomed to the support, Jonas wasn't sure if he believed it. While he knew Teal'c was sincere, he couldn't quite imagine Colonel O'Neill riding to the rescue of a man he could barely tolerate. "Okay, thanks, Teal'c. I'll remember that." Picking up his plate and utensils, he continued. "I've got to go. Thanks for the advice."

"You are welcome, JonasQuinn."


	6. Ruins

Three hours later, Jonas stood waiting in the gate room along with Nakamura and Owen. Both men were studiously ignoring him, so Jonas was busying himself checking the straps to his pack, making sure the heavy pack was settled comfortably on his shoulders.

The door to the room slid open, and Jonas could see Aldritch standing stiffly as Sam Carter spoke emphatically to him. He swallowed hard at the sight. It was obvious that whatever Sam was saying was only angering the major. Jonas wished he had insisted that Sam not talk to the man, but it was too late now.

With a curt gesture, Aldritch turned his back on Major Carter and stalked over to his team. The look he shot Jonas was nothing short of poisonous. The Kelownan's mouth went dry, but there was suddenly no time to think about it as the seventh chevron locked and the stargate exploded open.

Jonas waited as Lt. Nakamura used a handheld control to guide the F.R.E.D., loaded with ten days worth of supplies and gear, up the ramp and through the wormhole. Jonas followed slowly behind along with the rest of SG4.

A moment's disorientation, and Jonas found himself looking out on a new world. The stargate was situated on the shore of a small lake near the base of a very impressive mountain. Jonas knew from his study of the UAV data that the mountain rose to over twenty thousand feet. The ruins he was there to study were perched on a plateau at the 8500-foot level.

Looking around, Jonas spotted what looked like a large gazebo about two hundred yards away from the main road that headed up the mountain. "Major, we should check out that…"

Aldritch spun around and stepped in front of Jonas. "Okay, now, first off, there is no 'we.' There is SG4 and then there is you. And you are going to keep your mouth shut and do as you're told, got it?"

"But…"

Aldritch poked Jonas in the chest with a none too gentle finger. "No, there are no buts here, Quinn. You say 'yes sir' or 'no sir.' Other than that, you keep your goddamn mouth shut. Lieutenant…" Aldritch never took his cold eyes from Jonas' face. "Give me that hand held."

Lt. Nakamura moved hesitantly, but obeyed, handing over the control to the F.R.E.D. Aldritch shoved it at Jonas. "Now, you are going to bring the supplies. Screw up, and you won't have to worry about making it home."

Aldritch signaled his team to move out. Turning back to Jonas, he sneered, "Oh, and 'no man left behind' doesn't apply to shitty little Kelownans, so if you get lost or fall down and break your neck, don't expect us to come looking for you."

Jonas stood watching the three men march away without so much as a look behind. He frowned as he did a quick check of the F.R.E.D. The heavily loaded machine could pretty much go anywhere, but it was extremely slow, and even though they had arrived in the early morning, local time, it would probably take all of two days to get the supplies to the ruins.

Normal procedure would be for two men to stay with the F.R.E.D. while the other two scouted ahead. Jonas wondered if the Major really meant to leave him alone for the two-day trip. Sighing he started the machine moving forward. As it started ahead, Jonas glanced again at the tantalizing sight of the gazebo.

Not one to dither, Jonas came to a rapid decision. The F.R.E.D. could continue down the road while he took a short detour. Making sure the big machine was aligned with the middle of the road, Jonas trotted off to have a look. Reaching the gazebo, it only took him a moment to confirm his suspicions.

Stepping back outside, he used the remote to start the F.R.E.D. toward him. He silently debated whether to tell SG4. There really was no question, and he keyed on his radio. "Major Aldritch, this is Jonas."

"Get off this line, Quinn," came the cold reply.

"Sir, I need to report…"

"I'm not interested in your needs, Quinn. Now, get off this radio, or I swear to God, I will come back there and shove it down your throat."

Jonas felt his cheeks flush at the fury in the major's voice. He wondered if it might not be wiser to just go back to the gate, head for home and admit defeat. It would probably mean a reprimand or worse for the leader of SG4, and Jonas was sure that those who held him responsible for Dr. Jackson's death, and Col. O'Neill's torture would surely hold him responsible for this too.

He watched as the F.R.E.D. made its slow way across the field to his position. He knew he wasn't seriously considering quitting. If he ran home, it would cause problems for Major Aldritch, but those problems would pale in comparison to the trouble he'd be making for himself. Besides, he really wanted to see the ruins.

He maneuvered the F.R.E.D. around to the far side of the gazebo where there was a large opening obviously meant for freight handling. With the remote, he directed the F.R.E.D. into the gazebo and onto the large ring platform that it held. Gazing once more in the direction that SG4 had taken, Jonas shook his head and hit the ring controls.

A series of large Naquadah rings shot up from the ground, surrounding Jonas and the F.R.E.D., and moments later, Jonas found himself in the rarified air of the plateau, a mere hundred feet from the ruins.

A thundering roar brought Jonas' head around, and curious, he climbed a small ridge at the back of the ring platform. Reaching the top, he gasped in wonder. He had known from the UAV data that there was a river and waterfall, but standing there, within a few yards of the 160-foot drop, watching tons of water falling over the cliffside was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Far below, the water disappeared into a rainbow-streaked mist.

Following the streaming water up with his eyes, he caught sight of a narrow path that started a few feet from where he was standing, and in a series of steps went down the cliffside to disappear behind the waterfall. The path looked well worn, and Jonas itched to follow it and see where it led.

Moving over to the beginning of the path, Jonas tested the first step for sturdiness. As he suspected, the step was cut directly into the rock of the cliffside. Looking back at the patiently waiting F.R.E.D., he sighed and stepped away from the path.

Knowing full well that nothing he did would please Major Aldritch, Jonas nevertheless went about setting up the camp. Experience with SG1 helped him decide where to pitch the tents, where to place the camp stove and fire ring. He was careful to dig the latrine downwind. Much to his delight, a bit of exploring turned up a catch basin fed by an offshoot of the river. He did the necessary checks to find that the water was exceptionally pure.

Pleased with his discovery, he used a couple of buckets to fill the fifteen-gallon reservoir that was a permanent fixture on the F.R.E.D. By mid-afternoon, he was satisfied that he had done everything necessary to make the next ten days livable. Consulting his watch, he calculated that he had a good three hours before SG4 would show up.

With a smile of anticipation, he headed for the path down the cliff side. As he neared the water, he was delighted to find that a gutter had been cut into the rock at hip level, providing a sure handhold against slipping. He found, too, that the treads of the steps had been roughly textured so that the misting water of the falls drained away, giving secure footing.

When he reached the tumbling waterfall, the path turned inward behind the water. Jonas found himself in a room cut into the rock. He stepped further in and looked back at the water, which fell far enough away that he felt no more than a cooling mist in the air. The light that filtered through the curtain of water was not enough to see the extent of the cave, and when Jonas flipped on his maglite, his jaw dropped, and after a moment, he laughed in delight.

The room disappeared into the depths of the mountain, but the walls that Jonas could see were covered with pictures so realistic that they could be photographs. Stepping up to the nearest wall, he ran his hand over the image. It appeared to be etched directly into the rock. He smiled in admiration at the technique. Up close he could see that the artist had taken into account the natural color variations within the rock itself to help add depth and texture to the pictures.

Stepping back, he took in the subject matter, cocking his head to study the creature depicted. It appeared to be some sort of cephalopod. Jonas could easily see nine tentacles with a hint of a tenth in the background. The creature appeared to be standing upright, it's large luminescent eyes directed forward as if posing for a portrait. He couldn't help but wonder if the creature was land dwelling, or more importantly, sentient.

Pulling out his digital camera, Jonas got to work recording the remarkable image. After snapping several shots, he eagerly moved on to the next panel. The second image appeared to be a portrait also. He stared at the small humanoid for a moment before murmuring, "Nox." Jonas had read about the Nox in Dr. Jackson's journals, and based on the descriptions there, the small elfin figure was unmistakable.

Jonas lifted the camera to his eye, then paused as a thought occurred. With a tickle of excitement, he moved to the next picture. A tall human in white robes looked regally out from the picture. Jonas breathed a little harder, almost afraid to look at the next picture, but still positive he knew what he would see.

He flashed his light to the next picture in the row, and his expectation was confirmed. An Asgard. Nodding his head, he returned to the first picture in the line, and examined the large squid-like creature. It was just possible that he was looking at a representative of the fabled fourth race, the Furlings.

Pulling out a notebook, Jonas started scribbling notes. He realized that this was an important discovery even if there was nothing to help in the fight against the Goa'uld. Looking closer at the portrait, Jonas became convinced that the creature was a water-dweller. It made sense. Information about the Furlings was extremely scarce, but if they lived in the oceans of a water world, it would go a long way to explaining why so few artifacts had been found.

After a while, Jonas put away his notebook and once again pulled out his digital camera to continue recording the treasures on the walls. He dutifully recorded the portraits of the Nox, Ancient and Asgard, and eventually moved on.

At the next portrait, Jonas frowned. A tall biped with slitted eyes, and visible fangs stared out at him. It somewhat resembled a feline, with short striped fur everywhere not covered by a diaphanous toga-like garment. All of the portraits were of a similar size and composition, so Jonas could only believe that this creature was of equal importance to the rest.

Jonas' previous excitement left him like air escaping a balloon. He realized that with the addition of the fifth portrait, his earlier assumption that the cephalopod must be a Furling was false. Determined not to make that error again, he recorded the portrait and moved on.

By the time he had reached the end of the portrait gallery, he had recorded twelve different species, including at least two more that could be water dwellers. The gallery ended where the wall did, and Jonas turned to the back wall of the room. Here, the pictures seemed to be a recording of a meeting of the twelve disparate species.

Jonas wanted to continue, but realized SG4 would be arriving soon. Knowing how exhausting the hike up the mountain would have been, he was determined to have a hot meal ready for them. He knew it was useless to try to curry favor with people so determined to hate him, but his conscience would not allow him to treat them badly in return.

Sighing, he packed up his camera, and took the path back up to the plateau. He paused for a moment to enjoy this world's spectacular sunset, a display of intense pinks and oranges almost fluorescent in nature. Breathing in the sweet air with a smile, he set to work making dinner out of MREs packed on the F.R.E.D.

If it had been SG1, he might have been tempted to experiment, mixing different tastes and textures, but with SG4, he simply stuck with the basics, making a large pot of chicken and rice, with side dishes of broccoli and cheese, and spiced apples, and raspberry crumble for dessert. As the meal cooked, he set about making a pot of coffee, knowing that given the slight chill in the air, the men would appreciate the hot drink.

With the food ready, Jonas sat down and started writing up notes on the amazing room he had found. Some ten minutes later, his sharp ears heard the soft sounds of someone approaching the plateau. Suddenly nervous, he quickly spooned out his own dinner, not entirely confident that Major Aldritch wouldn't find some excuse to keep him from eating.

Jonas sat down and ate quickly, his eyes on the point where the road emerged from the forest onto the plateau. Within moments, three heads became visible as the members of SG4 climbed the last few feet to the plateau. He watched warily as the three men came forth and froze looking around at the functional camp ready for use.

Jonas caught a flicker of a smile on Lieutenant Nakamura's face before Major Aldritch exploded. "Quinn, how the hell did you get here before us?"

Calmly chewing a last bit of dinner, Jonas cocked his head and said simply, "Ring platform."

"A ring platform." The major's voice went deadly quiet. "So you thought it'd be funny to make us walk twenty miles when there was a ring platform available?"

Jonas had had all day to prepare for this confrontation, and though his stomach churned with nervousness, he didn't let any of it show. "No, sir. I didn't think there was anything funny about you threatening me when I was only doing my duty in attempting to report the ring platform to you."

Nakamura and Owen stood behind their commander, but Jonas noticed they both were fidgeting, sniffing the air, taking in the scent of the food. Aldritch didn't seem to notice the meal or his subordinates' obvious hunger. He fumed silently staring at Jonas, who stared calmly back. "Don't think I won't report this, Quinn."

"Absolutely. But I'll be making my own report too. It will be interesting to see how your comments about no man left behind not applying to me will play to a third party, like General Hammond."

Jonas knew he was taking a chance being so direct with the hostile major, but under the circumstances, he felt he had no choice. "Look, I know you want nothing to do with me, but we're here together, and that's all there is to it. Feel free to ignore me. But understand, I am going to do the job General Hammond assigned me to do whether you like it or not. You can help, or you can watch the trees grow, either is fine by me. But I'm telling you right now, stay out of my way."

Realizing that none of the men would relax until he was gone, Jonas got up and went to his tent. Sitting on his cot, he closed his eyes and worked on settling his nerves. He hated confrontation, but he felt that if he allowed Major Aldritch to get away with his bullying tactics, his stay at the ruins would quickly become unbearable.

Almost immediately after he had entered the tent, he heard the rasp of utensils being used. He listened carefully, but as far as he could tell, no one was talking. He had hoped to hear either Owen or Nakamura commenting that at least the camp was set up, but apparently not even that gesture lessened their animosity.

Jonas finished up with his notes within an hour, and sat staring at his cot. He had always found the small tents to be unbearably stuffy, but he was certain that he would not be welcome at the campfire. Taking a few deep breaths to bolster his courage, he lifted the flap of his tent and stepped out. Aldritch and Sergeant Owen were seated by the campfire on the logs that Jonas had carefully positioned with the help of the F.R.E.D. Neither man immediately looked up, and he realized that the soft background roar of the nearby waterfall had covered the sounds of his movement.

Jonas swallowed his nervousness and headed for the latrine, slightly down hill. He'd only taken a few steps when out of the corner of his eye, he saw the two men jump, startled. He kept going, ignoring the two, and stepped through the screening bushes to where he had dug out a trench.

It felt awkward to him, to stand there, doing his business, with his back to the camp. Had it been SG1, he would have been perfectly at ease, but he realized that he didn't actually trust the men of SG4, and that was a discouraging thought. Still, there had been nothing in the UAV data to indicate any danger, so Jonas supposed he was safe enough, as long as he didn't irritate the major to actual violence.

That thought caused him to frown. When he told Teal'c he was sure Major Aldritch would remain professional, he had believed it. Now he realized that he was unsure how the major would act. If something were to happen, it would be his word against all three members of SG4.

Finishing up, Jonas shook his head. Being alone amidst a group of Tau'ri was nothing new. He had managed to survive for almost six months on a world where half of the people detested him. He could survive ten days with three of them.

Jonas headed back up the hill, but as he came out of the bushes, he found his way blocked by Lt. Nakamura, who stood pointing his P90 directly at Jonas' chest. Jonas held his hands out to show they were empty.

Nakamura frowned, and lowered his gun. "What the hell are you doing skulking around in the bushes?"

Standing very still, Jonas nodded back the way he came. "The latrine is over there."

Nakamura relaxed slightly. "You could have said something."

"Would you have listened?" Jonas cocked his head, sensing a possible ally.

The lieutenant stared hard for a minute, then glanced around cautiously before demanding. "Why did you set up the camp?"

"Because it needed to be done, and I was here."

"You didn't have to make dinner though. And you sure as hell didn't have to set up our tents as well as your own."

Nakamura was stiff with aggression. Jonas knew the man was trying to maintain his hostility, but was finding it hard in the face of Jonas' actions. He shrugged. "No, I suppose not. I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I just don't believe in treating people badly, regardless of the situation."

"Last year, SG4 was captured by a Goa'uld system lord named Ma'at." Nakamura stared off into the middle distance as he spoke. Jonas waited patiently, knowing what was coming, as he had read the report. "Ma'at was supposedly the goddess of truth and harmony, but she was just as egomaniacal as the rest of them. She kept whole planets of people grubbing in the ground for that damn naquadah. She worked the poor slobs until they dropped, then had her Jaffa kill them on the spot.

"The planet we gated to was littered with decomposing corpses and bones. Her stinkin' first prime, an asshole by the name of Kas'nek, dragged us to her, but she couldn't be bothered. We were just more slaves to use up. They threw us in the mines, and we would have rotted there, but for SG1."

Nakamura looked Jonas in the eye. "You have no idea what it was like to see them come in. This entire planet of people with no hope, no light in their lives, and Colonel O'Neill shows up and it's like the clouds parted, and the light poured down. Doctor Jackson told the people that there was a better life ahead for them all. We'd tried saying that, but nobody listened. Doctor Jackson said it, and the people believed. It was just the way it was. SG1 was just that good."

The lieutenant's face darkened. "And then you came along."

Jonas felt the familiar weight descend upon him with those words. It had been a burden on him since his first days at the SGC, but he refused to bow under it any longer. "Yes, I did. I came along, and Doctor Jackson died, and Colonel O'Neill almost died. Yes, Lieutenant, I've heard it all before. The fact that Daniel jumped in before I even understood what he was doing, or that I was unconscious when Ayiana healed me never seems to enter the equation, does it? I was there, therefore I am responsible. That's what you choose to believe, and it's obvious to me that nothing I say or do will change that. But you know, I still just don't believe in treating people badly. Excuse me."

Jonas pushed past the lieutenant, a bit surprised at his outburst. He kept his ear cocked, but could not hear if Nakamura was following him over the pervasive sound of the waterfall. He reached the clearing and ignored the two men at the campfire, heading for his tent.

He had almost reached his tent, when Major Aldritch grabbed him by the arm and roughly swung him around. "I said you're taking the dog watch, got it?"

Knowing it would probably irritate the man more, Jonas responded with a smile. "Yes, sir."

Aldritch shoved him away with a sneer, and Jonas entered his tent before rubbing his arm. He shook his head at the major's order. SG4's commander made no secret of the fact that he despised the Kelownan. The dog watch, generally set from 3am to 7am was considered the least desirable watch. Jonas had never minded it, though. The thing that surprised him was the major's willingness to trust him with a watch at all.

Having completed his work for the day, and anticipating being awakened well before dawn, Jonas decided to settle in, and get to sleep. The cot was hard, and he wasn't quite warm enough, but knowing he would have a full day to explore the ruins, Jonas drifted off to sleep.


	7. Dogwatch

"I said, get the hell up."

Jonas startled awake to what felt like an earthquake. He barely got his eyes open when his cot was unceremoniously knocked over, dropping the Kelownan to the hard ground. He rolled over to find Major Aldritch looming threateningly over him.

"Get your lazy ass out of bed, Quinn, it's your watch."

Jonas frowned. One of the things that made him different from Earth-born humans was his internal clock. He pulled himself to his feet, wondering if something in the atmosphere of this planet had thrown him off. As he wearily pulled on his jacket, he checked his chronometer. Seeing that it was barely midnight just left him confused. The planet had a 25-hour day-night cycle, so there were at least five hours before dawn.

Leaving his tent, he found Aldritch standing by the campfire, which had burned low. Seeing Jonas' eyes on him, the major made a point of pouring an almost full pot of coffee over the embers, drowning the fire out. Jonas wondered if the man's intent was to rob him of the coffee or the fire. Either way, Jonas didn't much care. Coffee was off limits to him, the caffeine playing havoc with his intestines. And the night wasn't cold enough to be unbearable.

Quietly, in case the other members of SG4 were light sleepers, Jonas said, "I thought you said I had the dog watch."

Aldritch stared with cold menace. "You do. Midnight to seven."

Jonas' breath caught in his throat. A seven-hour watch after only four hours of sleep meant that he'd be working tired. Not that he couldn't do it, but it was just another bit of persecution that he didn't need.

Aldritch stood waiting. Deciding not to push, Jonas said simply, "Yes, sir."

Aldritch narrowed his eyes, "I catch you sleeping on duty, I'll kick the crap out of you."

"Yes sir." Jonas kept his tone mild. Aldritch stared for a moment more, before turning away in disgust.

Jonas watched the man stalk to his tent. Sighing, he pulled his 9mm, and checked that it was loaded. Deciding his first move was a perimeter check, he walked to the edge of the plateau. Scanning the darkness with all of his senses alert, Jonas moved quietly through the night.


	8. Night

It was still before dawn when the light show began. Jonas had been half expecting it. The UAV had reported a strong magnetic field around the planet, and Jonas recognized what on Kelowna had been called Curtains of Delight and on Earth was called the Aurora Borealis.

Jonas smiled at memories of his homeworld. It was said that making love under the Curtains was a sure way to insure a fine, strong son. He could still remember his mother telling him as a very young boy that he had not only been conceived under the Curtains, but had been born under them as well, an omen of good luck.

Jonas was not sure about the luck part. Sometimes as he worked on Earth, he was sure he was the luckiest of all Kelownans. But then times like this, with oppression all around, he could believe that his luck was all bad. Or maybe it was that Earth concept called 'karma.' Cosmic payback for his temerity in leaving his homeworld.

Either way, the lights were pretty. He didn't let them deter him from his duty, though. In his patrolling, he had already identified several small mammal-like creatures. Nothing large enough to cause a problem, but interesting in their own right.

His acute night vision was enhanced by the shimmering lights overhead, and he caught a flicker of movement within the camp. Raising his gun, he faced the possible danger, but it was only Major Aldritch. Jonas frowned as he watched the major move stealthily toward his tent.

The major reached Jonas' tent, and in a swift move, threw open the flap and stormed inside. Jonas stayed where he was, his eyebrows raised. Aldritch came out a moment later, looking around wildly, trying to see in the darkness.

Realizing the major could not see him against the dark background of bushes, Jonas asked quietly, "Are you looking for me, Major?"

Aldritch jumped, and stared in Jonas' direction. At that moment a particularly bright shimmer of red passed overhead, throwing the camp into a hellish highlight. Aldritch flared with anger, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Patrolling the perimeter. Sir." Jonas stayed very still, knowing it would be unnerving to the startled officer.

"You let the fire go out." Aldritch accused, trying to regain the upper hand.

"Yes sir." Jonas replied calmly. He felt there was no point in mentioning what they both knew, that Major Aldritch had intentionally put out the fire.

"You're an idiot, Quinn. You never let the fire go out, you understand me?"

Jonas allowed a long pause before replying in the same calm voice. "Yes sir."

In the shimmering light, the major's jaw worked as the man stood there bristling like an angry dog. After a moment, he stomped back to his own tent, and pulled it closed behind him.

Jonas let out a breath. He wasn't proud of the fact that he had been purposely goading the man, but he just couldn't seem to help himself. Realizing that the sun would be up in a short time, he set about not only building and kindling a fire, but also making a pot of coffee.

He made himself some tea, and raided the supplies for the blueberry oatmeal that he liked. He ate his breakfast, and grabbed several energy bars for his day at the ruins. Thus prepared for the day, he resumed his duty watch, patrolling the perimeter, watching the sunrise.

He was on the far side of the camp when Sgt. Owens came out of his tent. The man headed immediately for the coffee. He poured himself a cup and stood, stretching and enjoying the mild morning. A few minutes later, he was joined by Lt. Nakamura, who to Jonas' surprise, ignored the coffee, and poured himself the leftovers of Jonas' tea.

The lieutenant took a sip, then frowned at the cup before sipping again. Although he spoke quietly, Jonas' sharp ears picked up what he said. "This is good stuff. Where'd it come from?"

Owens shrugged. "I dunno. Quinn, probably."

Nakamura wrinkled his nose, but then finished the tea. "You on dog watch?"

"No, sir. I figured it was you."

Nakamura shook his head. "I didn't take a watch last night."

Owens' eyebrows climbed. "Neither did I."

The two men seemed to realize what had happened at about the same time. Owens shook his head. "The major's got a real hair up his butt with this guy."

Nakamura just shrugged, and Owens continued. "Can't say as I blame him. Asshole practically wiped out SG1 single handed."

"Maybe." The Lieutenant's response was very quiet, and Jonas held his breath.

"What do you mean, sir? The major says…"

"I know what the major says, Dave, but you know, sometimes I just think for myself."

Owens threw up his hands. "Hey, I was just sayin'. No need to get your panties in a twist."

"Sorry."

"That's okay. So, you think the major's wrong?"

"It wouldn't be the first time. Remember when Doc Warburton was first assigned?"

Owens snorted. "Yeah. I didn't think he'd last a day, the way the major treated him."

"Yeah, well, I think Quinn's even tougher than the doc. Think about it. Aldritch left him to fend for himself with the F.R.E.D., and he not only took it without whining, he got here and set up the camp. Not even Doc Warburton would've done that."

"Hell, Doc would've dropped the remote, ringed up and started playin' with his rocks."

"Yeah." Nakamura strode over to the F.R.E.D. and started rummaging in the supplies. "I asked him about it, you know."

"Asked who about what?"

"Quinn. I asked him why he set up the camp."

"Yeah? What did he say?"

"Said he didn't believe in treating people bad no matter how they treated him."

"Well, gee, maybe we should nominate him for sainthood." Owens response crackled with sarcasm.

Nakamura froze for a second, then turned on the sergeant. "Look, the major's more or less given us carte blanche to smack Quinn around if we want. I'm not saying I want you to cozy up to the guy, but I'm telling you, leave him alone, understand?"

"Yes sir, Lieutenant, sir."

"Come on, Dave. Is just ignoring him going to be that hard?"

"Hell, I can ignore him with the best of them, but that's not going to stop the major."

"No, I know." Nakamura shrugged. "Not a lot I can do about that, but if you and I lay off, maybe the major will get the message."

Owens snorted. "If you say so."

Not wanting to be caught listening in, Jonas backed away, then made a show of strolling into the clearing. He cleared his throat, then said, "Uh, good morning."

Both Owens and Nakamura just stared at him. If he hadn't heard the earlier conversation, he would have believed they were still hostile. Sighing, he made his way to his tent.


	9. Attack

Jonas checked through his supplies to insure he had the notebooks and writing tools he needed for his day at the ruins. He had already decided that, as interesting as the cave behind the falls was, he needed to survey the rest of the site. Confident that he was properly prepared, he turned to leave his tent, and came face to angry face with Major Aldritch.

Aldritch reared back and struck Jonas in the mouth before the Kelownan had really registered the man's presence. Jonas fell to the ground, the blow more startling than painful. He looked up at the major looming over him, surprise clear on his face.

"You don't ever leave your watch until you are relieved." The major was so angry, spittle appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Jonas sat very still. He was unsure how to de-escalate the confrontation. The major had obviously been waiting for just this moment. Knowing he had no defense, other than with SG1, when the rest of the team awoke, it was understood that the dog watch was relieved, Jonas licked a bit of blood from his lip, and responded, "Yes sir."

Still worked up, Aldritch let loose a kick, saying, "Get your ass up. You're on first watch."

Jumping up to prevent another kick, Jonas faced off with the angry man. "I'm sorry, sir, but that isn't going to work. I am here to evaluate these ruins, not stand watch. I was willing to do it last night because you had all had a long march, but that's the end of it. If you don't like it, we can take it up with General Hammond."

If anything, Major Aldritch turned redder. He grabbed Jonas by the shirtfront and pulled him close. In a voice shaking with rage, he said, "As long as you are here, you are under my command. You will do exactly as I say, or I will shoot you. Do you understand?"

Jonas felt his face drain of color when he realized that the major had pulled his sidearm and had it pressed against his temple. He ignored the fleeting, distracting thought that the muzzle of the gun was warm with the major's body heat. Looking into the soldier's cold eyes he realized he could very well end up dead. The major's actions were so outrageous that there was no way he could explain them away upon their return to Stargate Command.

Jonas was already formulating his escape back through the gate, while trying desperately to think of a way to survive the next few minutes, when Lt. Nakamura stuck his head into the tent. "Sir, can I have a word, please?"

Jonas hardly dared to breathe, certain that it would take very little for the major to pull the trigger. Aldritch snarled over his shoulder. "What do you want?"

"I need you out here, sir."

For a moment longer, Jonas' life seemed to teeter as the major stood frozen in hate. The moment passed, and the man shoved Jonas hard, before stalking out of the tent.

Jonas sat down heavily on his bunk. The aftermath of the confrontation left his hands shaking and his breathing irregular. His eyes darted around the tent, though whether seeking succor, or monsters under the bed, Jonas didn't really know.

He could hear the raised voices through the very thin protection of the tent wall. Lt. Nakamura was trying to reason with his livid superior. "Dennis, listen to me! He's not worth my career, and he sure as hell isn't worth your career!"

"Son of a bitch as much as spat in my face!" Major Aldritch's voice was low, dangerous.

"So, was this your plan? Keep him from doing his damn job until he gave you an excuse? I won't support murder. I can't support murder." Nakamura's voice had gone very soft, and Jonas found himself moving to the tent wall to hear.

"Putting down a Goa'uld or Jaffa is not murder. Putting down a rabid dog is not murder."

"No. But whether we like it or not, Quinn is a member of the SGC."

"He blackmailed Hammond with that fucking naquadriah. He murdered Daniel Jackson. He tried to murder Jack O'Neill. He's not a member of the SGC. He's a sick little psychopath who's conned his way onto SG1."

"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. But if you kill him, you'll back Hammond into a corner. Dennis, you need to…"

Jonas strained trying to hear more, but the two soldiers had moved away, and the muted roar of the falls covered anything more they said. The blackmailing of General Hammond was something he had not heard since his very first days at the SGC. He'd assumed that people had realized just how ridiculous the idea of anybody successfully blackmailing the very tough major general was.

He should have realized that, like a rotted fruit at the bottom of a barrel, the rumor of his so-called blackmail would fester and bloom when the time was right. It angered him, not for himself, but for General Hammond. The truth of the matter was it was George Hammond's generosity that had kept Jonas from being turned back over to the Kelownan government. For anyone to cast an aspersion on his chief benefactor at the SGC infuriated him.

But at the moment, Jonas realized he had to escape. Lt. Nakamura had stopped Aldritch for now, but the unexpected depth of the man's hatred meant that Jonas was not safe. He hefted the pack that he had prepared for a day at the ruins. He hoped he could get to the ring transporter undetected. But if that was impossible, he'd just have to hike down to the stargate.

Cautiously, he pulled open the tent flap. As he peeked out, he felt his heart drop down to his feet. Sgt. Owens was standing guard over the F.R.E.D. and the ring platform, his P-90 gripped in a ready position. The sergeant's eyes were on the still arguing officers, who stood almost directly in front of the trailhead.

Feeling that he needed a safe place to hide until the coast was clear, Jonas sidled out of the tent, and moved cautiously to the small ridge that hid the path to the room behind the falls. If it had been SG1, he would have told them of the room as soon as he had found it. Now, he was glad he hadn't said anything.

As he started down the path, he gave a thought to the fact that if the major found him, he'd be trapped, but he only needed a few hours. At noon, the SGC would be dialing the gate for a status check. Radio communications would be transmitted from an antenna on the F.R.E.D. to a similar one on the M.A.L.P., and from there through the gate to the SGC.

While protocol demanded that the expedition leader be the one to make the report, Jonas knew that any radio, including his own could get through. He intended to call for help. He knew he would be making his own life tougher by reporting Major Aldritch's actions, but better a tougher life than no life at all.

As he slipped behind the falls, he cast a wary glance back up the path, but there was no sign of pursuit. Once in the room, he slid heavily down the wall with portraits, and sat with his head in his hands.

He had hoped that he had carved a place for himself at the SGC, and within the narrow confines of SG1, he had. To an extent. The extent hadn't included Col. O'Neill, but he'd believed that eventually the hard-bitten officer would eventually come to see his worth.

Jonas realized now that he'd only been deluding himself. He'd never belong with these people. Just as he had never really belonged back home on Kelowna. There, his quick intelligence had set him apart from his peers. On Earth, it was the mere fact that he was in truth an alien. For all of his adoption of their slang, and their ways, he would never be an Earthling, let alone an American.

After a short time, Jonas looked up at the tantalizing pictures on the wall at the back of the room. He disliked brooding in others, and so refused to indulge in it himself. With a sigh, he pulled a notebook from his pack, and got to work.


	10. Wait

The day had dragged like one of Dr. Lee's lectures. Jonas had found that he couldn't concentrate on his work. He'd stare at a picture, trying to interpret the scene, but thoughts of the confrontation continually intruded. Normally, his mind was able to multitask, working on more than one issue, but his trepidation at the upcoming call to the SGC took over his thoughts to a point that he finally gave up the pretense of work.

He didn't think there'd be anyway that Major Aldritch could prevent him from calling out to General Hammond. But the major seemed so determined to kill him, that Jonas wasn't sure that help could arrive in time, once the man knew his plan had been exposed.

He had gone over the mental map in his mind of the landscape of the ruins and campsite, and knew that there was no other hiding place for him. The mountain slope down to the stargate was wooded, but SG4 was a professional team of soldiers, and Jonas had no illusions about his ability to stay ahead of a determined hunt.

The room he sat in was just that… an empty room. It was devoid of any secret passages or closets that Jonas could find. If the major found the path, he was well and truly trapped, and would have to defend himself.

His hand strayed to the 9mm, strapped to his leg. If he had to, he could defend himself, but the thought of intentionally killing a member of the SGC made his mouth turn dry. He doubted if Aldritch found him that he would be given an opportunity to use the fighting skills that Teal'c had drilled into him over the last few months.

Despite his innate time sense, Jonas' eyes kept straying to the chronometer strapped to his wrist. At one point he had fingered it with a sense of loss. Such items were virtually unknown on Kelowna. When he had first been given the watch, he hadn't understood its function, but he'd loved the technology and the sense of belonging it had given him.

He knew his life was about to change again regardless of the outcome of today's events. Calling for help would give Col. O'Neill the reason he'd been looking for to kick Jonas off of SG1. No other offworld team would welcome him. The United States government distrusted him to a point that living anywhere but deep within the bowels of Stargate Command was impossible.

He knew that Gen. Hammond knew his worth as a researcher, so he probably wouldn't be sent offworld to find his way in a new foreign land. But he'd had a taste of the adventurer's life, and the thought of losing it cut deeply into his heart.

After what seemed an eternity of dark thoughts, it was finally time. Jonas knew his window of opportunity was small. He suspected Aldritch would want to keep his report short. When the moment came, his stomach clenched, but he keyed his radio. "Stargate Command, this is Jonas. SG4 is not supporting my efforts, and I need help and protection."

He'd had plenty of time to decide what to say, but even as the words left his mouth, he felt they were cowardly. He waited for a response, but none came. He'd half expected the problem. The granite walls of the room were blocking the signal.

He moved as quickly as he dared up the path to a halfway point. He figured if he moved any further, he ran the risk of one of the men overhearing his call. He tried again. "Stargate Command, this is Jonas Quinn. I need help."

This time the lack of answer caused his already troubled stomach to drop. How had Major Aldritch managed to block him? The thought immediately brought its own answer. All the man would have needed to do was ring down to the gate, and report in early. General Hammond would have no reason to suspect anything was wrong, and the major would have another twenty-four hours to complete his plan of murder.

Realizing he could not rely on help from Earth, Jonas cautiously continued up the path, intending to see if the coast was clear. With his mouth dry, and his hands shaking, he carefully lifted his head above the level of the ridge. His eyes widened in alarm.


	11. Disaster

Jonas quickly ducked his head back down, his heart thudding in his chest. Jaffa. And their Goa'uld overlord. He reviewed the scene in his head. He'd seen the three members of SG4 on their knees in front of a Goa'uld dressed in some kind of ceremonial robe. The Goa'uld was flanked by four large Jaffa, all carrying staff weapons.

He hadn't been seen because the Goa'uld and the Jaffa had their backs to him, and the members of SG4 were all concentrating on the ribbon device the Goa'uld was lifting. As far as he could see, there were no other Jaffa in sight.

Jonas pulled his gun. He knew he was probably the only chance that SG4 had, but that chance would disappear if he did not act quickly. He took a couple of deep breaths in the hope that his wildly beating heart would calm, then moved rapidly to the top of the ridge.

Still unnoticed, he took the firing stance that Col. O'Neill had taught him. The Goa'uld and Jaffa still had not noticed him. The Goa'uld had activated the ribbon device, its beam hitting Major Aldritch squarely on the forehead. The major's face was a rictus of agony.

Jonas didn't wait, but fired directly at the Goa'uld, then shifted to the Jaffa. He got off two shots before he was hit squarely in the chest, his breath crushed out of him by the force of the blow. He was only marginally aware that he had flown off the ridge and was falling, falling.


	12. Jack

Colonel Jonathan O'Neill, known to friends and enemies alike as Jack, sat behind his regulation gray desk, in his regulation gray office wondering what was he was doing here. It had seemed so simple when he had awakened at 3 a.m. after only five hours of sleep. He'd decided in the darkness that all that was wrong with him was his doctor-enforced inactivity. He just needed to work.

He'd gotten dressed and come into the SGC, expecting to bury himself in paperwork. But his 2IC, Sam Carter, had foiled that plan by the simple expedient of keeping all of the innumerable mission reports, fitness reports, supply reports, etcetera reports and everything else up to date.

Any other time, he would have been thrilled and relieved to find a clean inbox. But today, it meant he had nothing to do. He'd considered going to the gate room and seeing if there was anything happening there, but that would mean having to talk to people.

Talking to people from the lowliest SF up to General Hammond himself had always been one of Jack's greatest pleasures, but now he just couldn't face the pity that he knew he'd see in their eyes. Even the realization that his unwillingness to talk to people was a victory for Ba'al couldn't move him to leave the dubious safety of his office.

Ba'al. A smirking self-important little despot with a knife fetish. Jack shuddered. He refused to let his mind wander yet again back to the eternity spent as that son of a bitch's prisoner. Jack suddenly leapt to his feet. He hadn't wanted to disturb Teal'c's kelnoreem, but if he didn't get out of this room, he'd smother.

Teal'c was the only person Jack could trust himself with at the moment. The big Jaffa warrior's ability to simply accept things as they were was a balm to Jack's injured soul. He marched through the corridors of the SGC, eyes front, ignoring the surprised hellos of those he passed.

When he reached the corridor with the on base personnel quarters, he paused. Two doors up from Teal'c's quarters were Jonas Quinn's. With the possible exception of Ba'al, Jonas was the last person on Earth that Jack wanted to run into. He just couldn't face all of that… that open, flailing, honesty.

Jonas irritated Jack at the best of times, and now was so not the best of times. Jack firmed up his jaw, telling himself at this time of day, the Kelownan was either still asleep, or already in his lab. It was a matter of pride that he didn't run or tiptoe past the young man's door. On the other hand, Jack hadn't survived as long as he had by taking unnecessary risks. When he reached Teal'c's door, he didn't knock, relying on the Jaffa's almost mythical sense of hearing to know who was letting himself in.

His Jaffa friend was in the act of extinguishing the thousand plus candles in his quarters. Teal'c turned and with a bare hint of pleasure said, "O'Neill, it is good to see you."

"Yeah, thanks, T. It's good to be seen."

"Has Doctor Fraiser released you for duty?"

Jack shrugged. "Not officially, but I got sick of just lying around, you know? I need to be doing something. I thought I'd come in an catch up on my paperwork, but Carter seems to have done that for me."

"Major Carter had assistance from several others including Colonel Reynolds, I believe."

Jack waved the comment away. "Yeah, well, now I haven't got anything to do."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, and Jack realized how petulant he sounded. Rolling his eyes by way of apology, he started for the door. "Let's go work out."

Teal'c made no movement or sound, but Jack could feel the Jaffa behind him radiating… well, not disapproval exactly, more like radiating the fact that he was a rock rooted in the depths of the earth, and not likely to move anytime soon. "I do not believe this is wise, O'Neill."

Jack's shoulders slumped, and he turned back to his friend. "T…buddy… I spent a hell of a lot of time in a freakin' sarcophagus. I'm probably in the best physical shape I've been in in ten years. A little light workout isn't going to hurt anything."

"Perhaps not, but if Doctor Frasier should hear of it, she would be most displeased."

"Oh, please, I can take that pint-sized megalomaniac."

This time both of Teal'c's eyebrows climbed. "This statement demonstrates that your judgement is impaired, O'Neill. Not even I am willing to oppose Doctor Fraiser in her own domain."

Jack fought a surge of despair. "I need to do something."

Teal'c nodded at the simple declaration. "Perhaps you would join me in breakfast."

Jack couldn't hear a rebuke, but he felt slightly ashamed anyway. The big Jaffa always preferred a hearty breakfast, living proof of the credo that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. As much as he didn't want to, Jack nodded, and led the way to the wide-open, curious bystander-filled commissary.

Even out in the corridor, Jack could hear the voices of a room filled with people. If Teal'c noticed the colonel's hesitation, he did not mention it. He continued through the doorway, as serene as a sailboat entering a calm harbor.

Jack felt no such serenity, and much like earlier, he kept his eyes front, ignoring the sudden intake of breath and hushed whispering that fell in his wake. Eyeing the steam table, he turned away, suddenly queasy. Teal'c continued loading several plates, blithely unaware of his commander's discomfort.

Jack finally settled on a cup of coffee, and a dry looking sweet roll. When Teal'c would have made for a table in the middle of the room, Jack turned away to a relatively quiet corner where a steel support beam blocked the view of the curious.

Teal'c made no comment on his friend's choice of seating, simply setting his heavily loaded tray down and taking a seat. After downing several pieces of sausage, and a mound of eggs, Teal'c glanced up with an almost speculative look. "O'Neill, perhaps if Dr. Frasier is willing, we could travel to P8Z-687 and relieve SG4."

Jack frowned. Another aspect of Carter doing all of his reports was, he had no idea what Teal'c was talking about. He hated feeling out of the loop, and his response was subsequently testy. "What the hell is P8Z yadda yadda, and what is SG4 doing there?"

"It is a planet with what appears to be Ancient ruins."

"Ancients?" Jack wrinkled his nose. "T, we've never found an Ancient site that didn't give us grief. Why would I want to go anywhere that has those head-grabby things? There's nothing the Ancients had that we need."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Jack tried staring him down, but it was no use. "What?"

"O'Neill, it was the Ancients who built the stargates."

Frowning, Jack said, "That just proves my point. Damn stargate has brought us nothing but grief."

Realizing what he had said, he muttered grudgingly, "Present company excepted."

The two friends fell silent, Teal'c working his way through a bowl of fruit, Jack watching. Eventually, it was Jack who broke the silence. "Why would we want to relieve SG4?"

Teal'c looked up, but before he could say anything, a voice called out. "Teal'c, what are you doing hiding back here?"

Both men looked up as Major Samantha Carter rounded the support beam. Seeing Colonel O'Neill, she broke into a huge grin, "Colonel! It's good to see you, sir. What are you doing here?"

Her obvious pleasure short-circuited the annoyance that tried to creep into Jack's head. "I'm having breakfast, which is more than I can say for you."

Sam followed her commander's gaze to her tray with its blue Jell-O, plate of celery sticks and glass of buttermilk. She grinned ruefully, "Some mornings I want breakfast, and some mornings I want Jell-O. Where are your Froot Loops, sir?"

Jack looked at his own untouched sweet roll, and shrugged. "Like you say, sometimes you want Jell-O. You cleaned out my inbox."

"No sir… I mean, yes, but it was a group effort. We cleared it all out. I even finished your report on Lieutenant Tyler."

Jack had the grace to look embarrassed. The incident involving the shape-changing Reole had taken place well over a year earlier. Jack had just ignored that report for as long as he could in the hope that it would just disappear.

Carter chattered on about the help she had received cleaning up his desk. Jack let it flow over him like calming water. These two were his team, and he never felt quite so comfortable as in their presence. He looked up at a pause in the flow of chatter to find Carter looking at him expectantly. "Uh, what?"

Sam just smiled, "I asked what you are really doing here, sir."

"I came in to get caught up on my paperwork."

Sam's eyes widened, and again Jack realized he'd sounded sharper than he intended. "Oh. Uh, I'm sorry, Colonel, I guess I didn't think you'd want to worry about it."

Determined not to take offence, Jack rolled his eyes. "Carter, I never WORRY about paperwork. It's all right. I can find something else to do. Teal'c was just telling me about a little garden spot he'd like to visit."

Sam looked over at Teal'c, who said, "I suggested that we relieve SG4 on P8Z-687."

Sam frowned. "I'd say it was a great idea, but Teal'c, remember, it's over 20 miles to the site. I don't think Janet would be too happy about the colonel taking a hike that long."

Jack waved vaguely. "Twenty miles? A walk in the park, Carter. Is it trees or sand?"

"Uh, trees, sir. But…"

"Ah, trees. I love trees, you know that. When do we leave?"

"Sir, it's trees and mountains. The site is up the side of a mountain."

Jack sighed. "Carter, get this straight. There is nothing wrong with my body. The sarcophagus took care of all those little aches and pains. Frasier herself said that I've worked through the addiction. I am not an invalid, despite what anybody says. A nice hike in the mountains is just what I need to clear out the cobwebs."

"Does Janet agree, sir?"

Suddenly irritated, Jack snapped, "She will when I explain it to her. Now, will somebody please explain why SG4 needs to be relieved?"

Carter and Teal'c exchanged a look, then Carter said, "Janet grounded Dr. Warburton because his asthma is out of control, so General Hammond sent Jonas with SG4."

Jack sat back. Damn, and he really wanted to go, too. "Jonas and Ancient ruins. Yeah, just how I want to spend my summer vacation," he said sourly.

Teal'c, who had over the years finally learned the concept of sarcasm, raised an eyebrow. "Do you not wish to support our teammate, O'Neill?"

Put like that, Jack squirmed in his seat. "T, you know he bugs me."

"Sir… I really think we should go. I was going to ask the General for permission anyway this morning."

"Jonas is a big boy, Carter. He doesn't need you tagging along when he's with another team."

Sam shook her head. "There's more to it than that, sir. It's SG4."

"Yeah, so? Dennis Aldritch is a good man. He'll take care of Jonas for me."

"That's just what I'm worried about, sir."

Jack frowned. "All right, Carter, spit it out. What's going on?"

Sam pushed away her half-eaten Jell-O. Jack waited while she gathered her thoughts, His stomach tightened at the look on her face. He could tell he wasn't going to like what she had to say.

Sam took a steadying breath, and began. "The other day Jonas and I were on the way to the commissary, and I mentioned that Teal'c and I had been to see you. Out of nowhere he asked me if I thought you blamed him."

"Blame him? Blame him for what?" Jack asked in honest confusion.

"For Aiyana healing him before you. He said if she'd healed you first, none of that with Kanan and Ba'al would have ever happened."

"Of all the asinine…" Words failed him.

Carter raised her hand to stop him from going on. "Yeah, sir, I get that. I gave him a piece of my mind, and later on, he apologized. He said he knew you weren't a petty man."

"How gracious of him."

"No, sir, the point is, I believed him." Sam frowned, pausing again to be sure she explained it properly. "It was like he never really thought you'd blame him in the first place. And I noticed he was, I don't know, nervous about going into the commissary. When I thought about it, he was acting like he did when he first got here."

Jack frowned, still not quite getting it. He'd avoided Jonas whenever possible at the beginning. His hurt and anger at the death of Daniel needed an outlet, and Jonas was handy. In the first few days after that devastating event, Jack had had to fight the urge to beat the crap out of the Kelownan.

Eventually, he'd come to realize that even if Jonas had not been a civilian, with absolutely no experience in dealing with disaster, the young Kelownan would never have been able to stop Daniel from doing what he did. Daniel did what Daniel always did… he jumped in without regard for his own safety.

Jonas could have done more after the fact to stop his government's cowardly attempt to lay all of the blame for the disaster on Daniel, but in the end, he had done the best he could. He'd stolen naquadria and brought it through to Earth in the hope that the more advanced culture could do more with it than build bombs.

The kid was honest, bright, and eager to fit in and help. But Jack still had no idea what Carter was talking about. "What do you mean?"

Sam looked her commander in the eye. "Sir, when Jonas first arrived, a lot of people gave him grief. A lot of people blamed him for what happened to Daniel."

"Yeah, well, so did I. So what?"

Sam shook her head. "You handled it by avoiding him. Others handled it by tormenting him. Janet used to say that hardly a day went by that he didn't have some new bruise or another."

Teal'c inclined his head. "I was aware, but he would not tell me who his persecutors were. That is the reason I began his combat training."

"I was aware, too. But unlike you, I didn't do a damn thing about it. I just figured the sooner he gave up, the better off we'd be. Of course, that was before Anubis tried to blow up our gate. That was really the first time I paid any attention to him." Sam shook her head, sadly. "You know, he never said a word about the abuse. He was just happy to have a chance to help. He figured the whole thing out about getting rid of the gate, but he didn't take any credit for it."

Jack listened to the confessions with growing irritation. "And why the hell wasn't I aware of any of this? I'm the second in command of this base. You two are my team. You should have been beating down my door to tell me about this damn abuse."

Carter kept her eyes on the table. "Sir, like I said, I was hoping he'd just give up. I didn't want him here any more than you did."

"I never said I didn't want him here."

"Yes, O'Neill, you did. On several occasions."

Leave it to Teal'c to remember that. "All right, maybe I did. But the point is, I knew he had nowhere else to go. Those idiot Kelownans wanted to crucify him. I would never have sent him back there."

"Yeah." Sam said softly, radiating shame for her own part in not stopping the abuse. "Anyway, sir, the abuse stopped as soon as you made him a member of SG1. People realized that if you didn't blame him, maybe they were wrong about him."

Sam smiled slyly. "And it didn't hurt that they realized Teal'c would take them apart if he caught them."

"As indeed I would."

Uncomfortable with the whole idea, Jack said, "Okay, so what has any of this got to do with Aiyana?"

"Well, after I realized something was going on, I put out feelers, and I found out that the abuse started up again. People were saying that it was Jonas' fault that you got ill. Some of them were even saying that Jonas is Goa'uld spy, sent to destroy SG1 from within."

"Aw, fer cryin' out loud."

"Yes, sir. And yesterday, after Jonas left with SG4, I found out that they were among the worst of the abusers."

"Major, Major Aldritch is a good man. Are you making a formal complaint?" Jack took on his command persona, pulling himself upright.

Sam reacted to the tone by pulling herself into a more rigid position. "No, sir, not at this time."

Jack relaxed slightly. "You know, Carter, this is all hearsay. Unless you saw SG4 do something, yourself?"

"No sir. I would have taken down anybody who tried." Sam said, with a glint of fire in her eye.

"All right, then. We'll go out there, but let's not assume anything."

"O'Neill, I overheard Dr. Warburton threatening JonasQuinn."

"What?" Both Jack and Sam exclaimed.

"Yesterday morning at breakfast, Dr. Warburton threatened to harm JonasQuinn if any harm came to SG4. He said, I believe, that he would gut JonasQuinn if he attempted any murderous tricks."

"What did you do?" Sam asked with some trepidation.

"I did nothing. I joined JonasQuinn, and Dr. Warburton left."

"You didn't protect Jonas?" Sam's eyebrows climbed in surprise.

"I did not feel it was necessary. JonasQuinn is well able to defend himself. Dr. Warburton is not a threat."

Jack listened to the exchange in growing fury. Suddenly standing up, he left the table, his hands clenched into hard fists. He ignored his teammates anxious calls, and marched out of the commissary.

As he marched angrily toward the archeology department, a small part of his mind noticed that where earlier people had called out greetings, now they just scurried out of his way. That suited Jack's mood just fine.

When he reached the main archeology lab, he paused, his eyes darting around. He spotted Warburton bent over a bench along with two or three other geeks examining some rock or other. Jack stormed across the room, and grabbing the man, shoved him up against the wall, an arm across his throat.

Warburton's eyes widened in shock. "C-Colonel O'Neill… What's wrong? What did I do?"

"You threatened one of my team, you son of a bitch." Jack's voice shook with his rage.

"What? When? Colonel, I'd never threaten you guys!" Warburton responded, indignant, but his eyes still wide with fear.

"Teal'c heard you, you little piece of crap. You calling him a liar? Are you?" Jack punctuated his questions with vicious shoves.

"Colonel! Let him go!" Jack felt Carter and Teal'c pulling at him, but his rage was so complete, he fought them, trying to raise a fist to batter the white-faced academic.

Teal'c caught the fist, and insinuated himself between his out of control friend and the cowering doctor. "O'Neill, you must stop this."

Jack tried to wrestle free, but within moments, the anger seemed to drain out like dirty water down an unplugged sink. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "All right, T, you can let go now."

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow, then inclined his head, releasing his rock-like grip on Jack's wrist. Rubbing his wrist absently, Jack turned on Warburton, who had been helped to a tall stool by Sam Carter.

Still shaking, the doctor anxiously said, "Colonel, I never threatened Teal'c. I mean, that'd be crazy, sir. Teal'c, I never threatened you! Tell him! Tell him I never threatened you!"

In a death-cold voice, Teal'c replied, "I did not say you had threatened me. You threatened JonasQuinn yesterday morning."

Warburton's eyes widened in realization, then he sneered. "Oh. I thought you meant one of your real team, Colonel. Everybody knows Quinn is not a real member of SG1."

All three members of SG1 bristled at the comment, but Warburton didn't seem to notice. "Yeah, I let him know we were on to him. I told him if he tried to kill any of my team, he'd land up dead."

Carter took a step toward the man, her eyes glinting with anger. Jack, now back in control of himself, stopped her with a quiet command. "Stand down, Major."

He turned to the still oblivious archeologist, and in a deceptively soft voice asked, "What makes you think Jonas would try to kill your team, Doctor?"

Warburton snorted. "Everybody knows he engineered Daniel Jackson's death. And when he tried to take you out in the Antarctic, Dennis figured it out. Colonel, the man is an ashrak. He was sent here to destroy SG1 and Stargate Command. But don't worry, sir. SG4 has your six. Dennis is going to take care of everything."

Jack felt a cold lump of steel bloom in his innards. "What do you mean?"

With a conspiratorial smile, Warburton leaned forward, and said in a low voice, "Quinn isn't coming back. Dennis will make sure of it."

"CRAP! Teal'c, Carter, go suit up, we leave as quickly as I can brief General Hammond."

As Jack started away, Warburton called out uncertainly, "Colonel O'Neill?"

Jack spun back. "You're an idiot. The reason Aiyana healed Jonas first was because I ordered her to. He is my teammate. My responsibility. I did what any decent commander would do. I protected him. Pack your bags, Doctor, you're out of here."

With that, Jack turned and jogged away.


	13. Return

Jack strode angrily through the gray corridors of Stargate Command. His mind was a jumble of conflicting thoughts and emotions. A tiny voice was telling him that it was all his fault. If he hadn't been so obvious in his dislike of Jonas, the people like Dennis Aldritch wouldn't have gotten the wrong idea.

The thing was, he didn't really dislike Jonas. Not really. The kid was too honest and loyal for that. It was just that… it was just that he was annoying. Like a puppy that you keep tripping over. No matter what you did, the puppy keeps coming, tail wagging, ready to lick your face. Yeah, that was it. Jonas was just too slobberingly eager to please, and Jack was just plain uncomfortable with the adulation.

Reaching General Hammond's office, Jack dismissed that line of thought, irritated that even thinking about his relationship with Jonas annoyed him. With a perfunctory knock, Jack pushed his way in, protocol be damned. "General…"

Bill Lee leapt up with a startled deer-in-headlights look from where he had been seated in front of the general's desk. Hammond frowned in surprise. Belatedly remembering his manners, Jack took a deep calming breath. "Sir, we have an emergency. I'm sorry, Doctor Lee, but I need to speak with the general right now."

Head down, Lee nodded and tried to scuttle around the tense colonel. He stopped dead at the general's single soft-spoken word. "Doctor."

Misinterpreting Hammond's intention, Jack blurted out. "Sir, Doctor Lee can wait. I have reason to believe that Jonas' life is in danger."

The bald statement brought Lee's head up, eyes wide in astonishment. "But… that's what I was just saying!"

Scowling ferociously, Jack growled, "What?"

"The both of you just sit down. Now." George Hammond never raised his voice, but both men suddenly sat as if their strings were cut. "All right, then. Colonel, Doctor Lee was expressing his concern about Mr. Quinn being offworld with SG4. I've told him that I wouldn't tolerate disrespect to marines serving on this base. Not from him, and certainly not from you."

Feeling that time was running out, Jack nevertheless composed himself, squashing the fury that seemed to be boiling just under the surface. With his thoughts in order, he began. "Sir, I came in to do some paperwork, and met up with Teal'c and Major Carter for breakfast. They were both concerned about Jonas, and asked about going to relieve SG4. When I asked why, Carter said that she had heard rumors that certain people on the base were blaming Jonas for what happened with me and that asshole, Ba'al."

"Colonel, that makes absolutely no sense." Hammond said.

"No, well, you see, it's like this…" Bill Lee sat forward, ready to explain in full scientific Technicolor.

Jack nipped it in the bud with a glare, interrupting forcefully. "Yes, sir, I agreed, but then Teal'c told me that Warburton had threatened Jonas. I went and confronted the man, and he told me that Dennis Aldritch had come to the conclusion that Jonas was an ashrak, sent to destroy SG1."

It sounded utterly ludicrous when put like that, but Bill Lee nodded in eager agreement. "See, sir, I told you so."

"Are you sure about this, Colonel?" Hammond asked, patently disbelieving.

Jack ran his hand over his face. "Sir, there's more to it than this, but yes, I'm sure. SG1 needs to get out there before it's too late."

"Colonel, has Dr. Frasier cleared you for duty?"

Anger washed over Jack in a wave. "General, I don't have time for this. I need to go, now."

Even as he said it, Jack knew it was the wrong tack to take. "Colonel, you're not going anywhere until you are cleared to do so, is that understood?"

Forcing himself to remain seated, Jack put his hands flat on the general's desk. "Sir, Warburton said that Aldritch was going to see to it that Jonas didn't make it back alive. If I'm grounded, fine. But at least send Teal'c and Carter." Swallowing hard, his voice fell to a near whisper. "Please, sir. I don't want to be responsible for his death."

The plea got through to the older man like no amount of ranting would have. Reaching for his phone, Hammond dialed a number. Looking askance at his second in command, he said, "Can I assume your people are gearing up?"

"Yes sir."

With a brief nod, Hammond shifted his attention to the phone. "Doctor, I have an emergency situation that requires Colonel O'Neill's participation. He's here in my office. I want him cleared for the field. Now."

Jack held his breath, hardly daring to hope as Hammond listened to Frasier's response. "I'm well aware of that, Doctor. I'll take full responsibility. Yes. No, that won't be necessary. Very well. Thank you, Doctor."

Jack was halfway out of his seat when Hammond looked up. "I'm going out on a limb. You understand that, don't you?"

"Yes, sir. I'm fine, sir. No aches and pains, hell, even my knees feel good."

"It's never been about your physical condition, Jack." Hammond said softly. "I expect you to bring Mr. Quinn home in one piece, but I also expect SG4 returned without any 'accidental' broken bones or bruises, do you understand?"

Jack felt his jaw starting to clench, but he fought the feeling down, responding with what he hoped was calm control, "Yes, sir, understood."

"All right, Colonel, you have a go."

Jack was out the door at the run, leaving General Hammond, and the forgotten Bill Lee to share a glance. Jack headed straight for the gate room. He met his team in the corridor outside, Teal'c holding his tac vest, favorite cap, and his sunglasses and Carter weighed down with his P90, 9mm and knife. Still moving, Jack slipped into his battle gear like donning a second skin.

"Did Janet clear you, sir?" Carter asked curiously as she handed him the sheathed knife.

"Hammond did. That's all that matters at the moment. We'll deal with the doc when we get back."

Jack had just slid his card through the reader that would allow entrance into the gate room when alarms began to sound. The heavily reinforced door rumbled open just as the gate technician voice came over the speakers, "Unscheduled offworld activation."

"Crap" Jack muttered as armed SFs streamed past, taking up defensive positions facing the stargate. He and his team took up positions behind one of the heavy barriers the SFs had brought with them. Jack was instantly furious at this delay in their departure. A small part of him worried that he seemed to be unable to control the fits of fury, but he dismissed it as irrelevant to the situation.

The huge gate rumbled to a stop as the last chevron slammed home, and with the familiar burst, the gate opened with a shimmering pool of energy. There were several tense moments, until General Hammond's voice echoed through the loudspeaker, "Stand down, people."

At the same time, Jack could hear a general call out in the corridor for medical staff to the gate room. Jack felt conflicting emotions. A team returning with injuries was always a cause for concern, but Jack could only see it as a further delay in getting to P-whateverthehell.

He heard the distant clatter of approaching gurneys as the first figure stumbled through the gate. The soldier immediately dropped to his knees, holding a bloody arm to his chest. Jack started forward as a second man came through the gate, a third carried fireman-style on his shoulders.

Jack immediately recognized the third, unconscious man, as he was lowered gently to the ramp by his comrade. It was Dennis Aldritch. Jack saw red as the gate shut behind the three men. He pushed his way past the medics moving forward to help the injured, and grabbed the man kneeling next to the unconscious major. Dragging the man, a lieutenant, to his feet, Jack shook him hard. "Where the hell is Jonas?"

The lieutenant's eyes were glassy with pain or maybe shock. "Sir, I had to leave him to get Major Aldritch and Sergeant Owens back through the gate."

Still enraged, Jack shook the man again. "What's the matter? Did he fight back? Wasn't the easy kill you thought he'd be?"

"Colonel, that's enough." Hammond's voice cut the air.

Barely in control, Jack shoved the man away from himself. And stood, his hands clenching and unclenching. The lieutenant took his life into his hands and stepped forward again. "Sir, you don't understand. We were attacked. There was a Goa'uld, sir. And Jaffa."

Hammond by this time had interposed his bulk between Jack and the lieutenant. "Alright lieutenant. My office. Colonel, get yourself under control or go home."

Jack swallowed hard. The general was right. Jack felt as if he were spinning. One moment he was fine, and the next he was out of control. A glance at the patently worried face of Carter, and the minute frown of Teal'c gave him the determination to stop the spin. "General Hammond, sir. My team needs to get out there. If Jonas is going to have any chance, he'll need help."

Hammond stopped and turned. "Colonel, in your current state, you're no help to anyone. Go home."

Despite the finality of the order, Jack couldn't bring himself to acknowledge the command. He stood frozen as the general left the room, following the lieutenant. Jack sucked in a deep breath, and turned at the softly spoken, "Sir?"

He looked over at Janet Frasier. She'd witnessed the whole debacle, and Jack felt his insides freeze at the compassion in her eyes. "I don't want to hear it," Jack said, striding down the ramp.

"You'll listen if it means going on the rescue mission," Janet offered to his back, and Jack couldn't help but pause.

He practically snarled, "What do you mean, doctor?"

Janet looked around the gateroom at all of the people trying desperately to look busy. "I think this discussion should be held in private, don't you?"

Jack was too seasoned a pro to start as he realized where he was, so he nodded curtly and strode out of the room, the petite doctor scurrying to keep up. He was in no mood for any of this, so he made no allowance for the doctor's much shorter legs, practically flying down the hallway to the infirmary.

He reached the open ward, where there was a flurry of activity around two gurneys. He ignored the commotion, heading straight to Frasier's office. He opened the door, and glanced over his shoulder, then turned around when he realized the doctor was no longer following him.

Janet had stopped at the first of the gurneys, and was firing off a series of orders to bustling underlings. Jack considered just leaving, but Janet looked up, apparently sensing his intentions, saying, "Just wait in my office, Colonel. I'll be with you as soon as I can."

Jack moved into the office and closed the door. It wasn't lost on him that when SG teams came back with injuries, he was usually sticking his nose in, wanting to know exactly what was happening. He found he just couldn't dredge up any concern or sympathy for the members of SG4.

He sat in the doctor's office, waiting, hating the loss of time. Jonas was still out there. Possibly in the hands of a Goa'uld, not that Jack really believed that. He was probably hurt, trying to get back to the gate, and every minute Jack wasted here was another minute the kid had to be on his own.

He wiped a hand over his face. He didn't want to admit that he'd screwed up in the gateroom, but his own essential honesty forced him to admit it, if only to himself. If he'd just maintained his cool, he'd be on P8Z-yadda right now finding his teammate. As it was, he'd be lucky if Hammond allowed Teal'c and Carter to go.

After a few minutes, he gave up on the introspection. He was better at doing things than thinking. As he waited, he spied a stethoscope on a bookcase. He reached over and picked it up, fiddling with the ear pieces. By the time Janet Frasier entered, some ten minutes later, he'd listened to all of his internal organs, including the private bits. He was listening in on buzz of the coffee pot, when she breezed in.

With a cocked eyebrow, she held out her hand, and with a sigh, Jack handed the instrument over. Holding it up with two fingers, she asked, "Am I going to have to sterilize this?"

"Only that little round thing on the end."

Janet rolled her eyes, and sat down behind her desk, dropping the stethoscope into a drawer. "How do you feel, Colonel?"

"I feel fine. Anything else?" Jack made as if to stand.

"Relax, Colonel, you're not going anywhere. Now, can you tell me why you attacked Lt. Nakamura?"

There were few things Jack detested more than anybody trying to shrink his head. And he sure as hell didn't feel he needed to explain his actions to Doctor Janet Damn Frasier. He just stared at the woman with a look that had intimidated entire villages.

Far from intimidated, Janet just looked calmly back before saying, "Well, maybe I can help you out. You feel okay most of the time, but the least little thing sets you off. And once you get angry, it's like a volcanic eruption, and you feel like you have no control over it."

Jack maintained his hard look, despite being shaken by the doctor's perception. "How does this rescue Jonas?"

Janet was nothing if not persistent. "The reason you have trouble reigning yourself in is because you are still angry over what Ba'al did. You have always kept your emotions under tight control, so this anger is very difficult for you. But Colonel, you can control it. You just need a way to let it out safely."

Jack didn't believe that for a second. He knew that the only way to handle anger was to stifle it. Stuff it way deep down in that black place within him. Frasier had absolutely no idea. "Still not hearing the rescue plan."

To his surprise, Janet picked up her phone and dialed. "General? Yes, sir. Yes, Major Aldritch is suffering from an attack by a ribbon device. He's still unconscious, and we're working to control the swelling. I'm afraid it will be touch and go for the next 48 hours."

Jack frowned. He hadn't really believed Nakamura's claim of a Goa'uld, but there was no way Frasier would mistake that particular torture for anything else. He listened closer as the doctor continued her report. "Sergeant Owens lost a lot of blood, and his right arm was practically severed. Once we've stabilized him, we'll be operating. At this point, I can't make any guarantees as to how much function he'll retain, but I'm very hopeful that he'll eventually return to duty. Yes, sir."

The doctor glanced at Jack as she listened to whatever it was Hammond was saying. "Of course, sir. General, I have one more report, sir." She listened a moment more, then said, "General, I have Colonel O'Neill here with me in my office. Yes, sir. No, sir, I don't believe that is the best action under the circumstances. Sir, I understand that he will have to answer for his actions in the gateroom, but I want to recommend that he be part of whatever rescue mission you're planning. Yes, sir, he is absolutely up to the physical demands, and I believe that unfortunate episode in the gate room has impressed upon him the need to control himself."

By this point Jack was sitting straight up in his chair, astounded by Frasier's comments. Usually she was the one trying to hold him back. He held his breath as the doctor listened again to what the general was saying. "Yes, sir, I understand completely. No sir. Yes, sir, thank you, sir."

Jack maintained his composure, asking carefully as the doctor hung up the phone, "Well?"

"General Hammond wants you to report to his conference room right away, Colonel."

Jack leapt up and headed for the door. Pulling it open, he hesitating, and turned suspicious eyes back to Janet Frasier. "This isn't some weird sort of reverse psychology, is it?"

Janet just smiled. "That depends. Is it working?"

Jack opened his mouth to respond then snapped it shut with a frown. Still suspicious, he left the doctor behind, and headed at the double to the General's conference room. Psychology or not, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.


	14. Debrief

Taking the stairs two at a time, Jack headed for the general's conference room. He slowed at the top to a decorous pace, aware that he could be seen through the window. He entered the room, glancing around at the occupants of the table, feeling a certain satisfaction at the presence of Chuck Reynolds and SG3 along with Teal'c and Carter. He ignored Lt. Nakamura as Hammond ordered him to take a seat.

"The lieutenant was just beginning his briefing. Go ahead, Lieutenant."

Nakamura had had a chance to clean up and looked a lot steadier. In retrospect, Jack realized the man had been as white as a sheet and shaking like a leaf earlier in the gateroom. He worked to keep his face neutral, as the man seemed nervous in his presence.

"Uh, yes, sir." Nakamura stood at the far end of the table, but didn't seem to want to meet anyone's eyes. "When we arrived on the planet, we could see a road headed straight up the mountain. There was a structure of some kind off to the side of the road, and Mr. Quinn started to suggest that we check it out, but Major Aldritch interrupted him, and had me give him the remote to the F.R.E.D. He told Mr. Quinn that he was to bring up the supplies, and he ordered us to, uh, move out."

"You left Jonas behind?" Sam Carter blurted out, shocked.

"Uh, yes. At first, I thought we were just going to go on a bit, get out of sight, just to, you know… scare him a little. But the major didn't stop. When I asked him, he said to keep moving."

"Lieutenant, you know that leaving a man alone is against regulations," General Hammond said sternly.

"Yes, sir."

"Can you explain why Major Aldritch would do such a thing?"

"Uh, sir, the major has never been all that tolerant of civilians, and he really disliked Mr. Quinn. We all did. I mean, we were all rescued by SG1 on P3V-990, and when Dr. Jackson died, it hit us hard. So when we started hearing rumors that Mr. Quinn was responsible, we all just kind of… believed it. Then when Bob Warburton told us that Colonel O'Neill got sick in Antarctica because of him, well, we kind of decided we hated him."

Jack had to admit, the man had stood straight as he blurted out this confession, despite the red spots that developed on his cheeks. He bit his lip to keep from saying anything, but then he didn't have to. General Hammond was as angry as Jack had ever seen him. "Lieutenant, it has been reported that SG4 intended to murder Mr. Quinn. Is that true?"

"No, sir! I mean…" Nakamura's denial was immediate, but then he paused as some thought occurred to him

When he didn't continue, General Hammond prompted, "Lieutenant?"

With a deep frown, Nakamura stuck out his chin. "Sir, if there was a plot to kill Mr. Quinn, neither Sgt. Owens nor I were in on it."

Hammond speared the man with a look, then nodded. "Continue."

"It took us all day to get up that mountain. When we reached the plateau with the ruins, we were surprised to find Mr. Quinn had beaten us there. The structure that we'd seen held a ring platform, so he'd moved the F.R.E.D. to it, and ringed directly to the ruins."

Again Carter interrupted, her tone cold. "Jonas would never have used that platform without telling Major Aldritch about it."

Apparently having decided to tell the unvarnished truth, Nakamura nodded, saying, "Yes ma'am, he tried, but the Major cut him off, and turned off the comms."

Ignoring the sharp intake of breath around the table, Nakamura continued. "Quinn had set up the camp, and even had our dinner ready, but the major just yelled at him for not telling him about the ring platform. He said he was going to report Mr. Quinn, but then Mr. Quinn said that was fine, but that he'd be writing his own report, and he was going to tell you, sir, about what the major had said. Then he said he was going to do his job despite anything we did, and we could either help or get out of the way."

Knowing full well that Jonas was not a snitch, Jack asked frostily, "And exactly what was it that Major Aldritch said that Jonas was going to report?"

Nakamura swallowed, but said manfully, "The major told Mr. Quinn that no man left behind didn't apply to him and if he got lost or injured, SG4 wouldn't help him."

Jack pushed down the flush of anger, instead nodding for the man to continue. Apparently relieved that the disclosure had not resulted in an attack, Nakamura continued. "After we ate, I took a perimeter watch. I heard a noise, but it was Mr. Quinn. He'd been visiting the latrine. I asked him why he set up the camp, and he said that he didn't believe in treating people badly. I, uh, tried to explain about how my team felt about SG1 after the rescue on 990, and he told me he understood, but he still didn't believe in treating people badly. It, uh, gave me a lot to think about."

Nakamura had the grace to look ashamed, but he shook it off. "That night, I heard the major tell Mr. Quinn he had the dog watch. I went to bed. When I got up the next morning, I was a bit surprised that I hadn't been awakened for a watch. I went out and Sgt. Owens said he hadn't had a watch either."

"JonasQuinn was not there to stand watch." Teal'c stated.

Nakamura was at a loss for words. Eventually he shrugged, shaking his head. "I found out that the Major had told him the dog watch was from midnight to seven. By that time, I was uncomfortable with the whole situation, and so was Dave… I mean, Sgt. Owens. We tried to talk to Major Aldritch about it, but he just cut us off. He went over to Mr. Quinn's tent, and I could hear him yelling, telling him that he hadn't been relieved from the dogwatch. Mr. Quinn said something, and I couldn't hear what the major said back, but I could hear by his tone that he was shaking mad."

Taking a deep breath, the man continued. "I went over to the tent, and I found Major Aldritch was holding his gun to Mr. Quinn's head. I could see he was serious, and it uh, scared me. I called the major out of the tent so he could get a hold of himself, and he came out, and started telling me this, uh, really weird story that he and Doc Warburton had figured out that Mr. Quinn was an ashrak sent to destroy SG1 from within. It was crazy."

"Oh, so you agree that Jonas isn't an ashrak?" Jack's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Colonel," Hammond said warningly, then gestured for the lieutenant to go on.

Nakamura shook his head, sadly. "Sir, you know what it's like being on a team. You know and rely on your teammates. Especially when you've been through some of the things that SG4 has been through. When Bob Warburton said that Mr. Quinn was responsible for your getting sick, I didn't examine it all that closely, I just bought into it. But when you have any face time with the guy, it's really hard to buy all the rumors."

"That's because none of them are true," Carter sighed.

"Anyway, Sgt. Owens and I both told the major that we weren't going to let him murder Mr. Quinn. I think we got through to him. He got this look like he was realizing what he was saying wasn't rational. So I told Sgt. Owens to go get Mr. Quinn and get him down to the gate. Major Aldritch didn't argue, he just nodded. That's when we found out that he'd run away."

"Ran away? Your only job was to protect him so he could do his job, and he ran away?"

Nakamura ducked his head at the cold sarcasm in Jack's voice. "Yes sir. I think Major Aldritch really scared him. Hell, he scared me. Anyway, we couldn't find him. I don't know where he went. He couldn't have gotten past us to go down the path to the gate, and the ring platform didn't activate. We started looking for him. Major Aldritch seemed to realize that if anything happened to him we'd all be screwed."

Nakamura's glance slid toward Jack, who felt a slight satisfaction at the look of apprehension on the lieutenant's face. Nakamura took a deep breath then continued. "We looked for him for hours. It was coming up on time to contact the base, and I asked the major what he was going to say, and he said he was going to tell the truth and take the consequences.

"We were a good half mile up the hill from the camp when we heard the rings. We figured Mr. Quinn had waited until we were away then went to the rings to get back to the gate. We hightailed it back to the camp, and that's when the Jaffa got the drop on us."

The lieutenant shook his head in self-disgust. "We had totally left our guard down. We ran right into their arms."

"How many?" Teal'c asked, cutting to the chase.

"Four. Four Jaffa and a Goa'uld."

"Only four?" Jack blurted, surprised.

Apparently misunderstanding, Nakamura hung his head. "Sir, we were just trying to catch up with Mr. Quinn. We weren't even trying to be quiet. They heard us coming and had their staff weapons up and primed when we came into the camp. We didn't have a chance."

"It is most unusual for a Goa'uld to travel with so small a force," Teal'c said in a tone that Jack interpreted as doubt.

Nakamura nodded, "Yes, well, this was like a poor Goa'uld. He was wearing this grubby robe, and was barefoot."

"A bargain basement Goa'uld? What are the chances?" Jack asked rhetorically.

Teal'c leaned forward, and asked urgently, "Did this Goa'uld have a pendant? Gold, with an ankh? An ankh resembles a cross with a loop at the top."

Nakamura nodded, "Yes, I know what an ankh is. Yeah, he had it around his neck."

Jack could of sworn that Teal'c actually paled. General Hammond frowned and asked, "Teal'c, you know this Goa'uld?"

Teal'c waved the question aside. Staring hard at the lieutenant, he asked, "What happened?"

Nakamura paused a moment, the memory causing his jaw to clench. "They had us dead to rights. They pulled us in front of the Goa'uld, who probably started to ask questions. Problem was, it wasn't English, so we couldn't understand a word he said. He started out pissed, and when we couldn't answer his questions, he just went crazy. We were on our knees in front of him, and he just pulled out a ribbon device and used it on the major. He was literally foaming at the mouth, and I knew we were toast."

Nakamura had been looking off into space as he spoke, but now he turned his eyes directly on Jack. "That's when Mr. Quinn showed up."

"Oh, God." Carter's look was stricken.

Nakamura shook his head. "No, you don't understand. He came out of nowhere. He was up on the ridge that divided the camp from the waterfall. The first any of us, including the Goa'uld and Jaffa, knew he was there was when he started shooting. He took out the Goa'uld and one of the Jaffa before he fell."

"Fell? He was shot?" General Hammond asked sharply.

"Yes, I mean, no… What happened was his first shot took the Goa'uld in the shoulder, and spun him around. But the Goa'uld still had that ribbon device. He spun around and the force wave took Mr. Quinn in the chest. He flew backward off the ridge, but he still managed to get off a second shot at the Goa'uld and a third that took one of the Jaffa. The other Jaffa turned toward the ridge, and Sgt. Owens and I had our chance. I got to my P-90 and took out two of them. Owens was caught in a hand fight with the third one, and the guy practically ripped one of his arms off before he got clear enough for me to shoot the bastard."

Jack had to nod. He'd been in desperate straits with Jaffa before, and he knew Nakamura and Owens had been lucky to get the upper hand. "What about Jonas?"

"O'Neill, we must return to the planet immediately."

Teal'c's strident demand drew all eyes. Jack's eyes widened at the obvious apprehension the big Jaffa was displaying. "T, what's up?"

"The Goa'uld was a Chy'tlk. A holy man. We must return to the planet and destroy any evidence of Tau'ri presence."

"A HOLY man? A Goa'uld holy man?" Jack blinked, trying to get his mind around the concept.

"Yes. The Chy'tlk are a very small group of Goa'uld who travel the universe maintaining secret shrines. All Goa'uld revere them. To kill one is the highest crime. Should it be discovered that one was killed by Jonas Quinn, all system lords would come together to destroy both Earth and Kelowna."

"Wait, Teal'c. I thought the system lords only cared about themselves. They consider themselves Gods. Why would they revere these Chy'tlk? That seems really strange." Carter's confusion reflected the general attitude throughout the room.

"The Chy'tlk are singular among the false gods. They are ascetic in the extreme. They have no desire for power or advancement. They care only for maintaining their shrines. It is believed among the Goa'uld that their power derives in part from these shrines. The Chy'tlk travel the universe to insure that the power is never lost."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "So they're superstitious along with being megalomaniacs?"

Teal'c shook his head. "The system lords do not believe in anything other than themselves, but even they must keep the rank and file of their people satisfied. To have a Chy'tlk honor them with a visit can consolidate even the most reviled of the false god's positions."

"All right, Teal'c, I think we get the picture," Hammond said. "Lieutenant, what happened to Mr. Quinn?"

Nakamura looked up. "As soon as the Jaffa were down, I went up to the ridge, but there was no sign of him. Sir, behind the ridge was a drop off of about 150 feet. I… I couldn't see where he hit, but there was a big pool where the waterfall dropped. He might have hit the water, I don't know. Owens was bleeding, and Major Aldritch was barely breathing. I had to get them back to the gate."

Jack worked his jaw. He understood the decision, but that didn't make it any easier. "Sir, permission to go through the gate and clean up this mess."

"You have a go. Bring Mr. Quinn home. And make sure there's nothing left to show we've been there."

"Yes, sir." Jack was already out of his seat, his team and SG3 right behind him.

"Sir, Permission to go?" Nakamura's firm voice brought Jack to a halt.

Jack just stared at the man. General Hammond tacitly gave him the right of refusal. "Colonel?"

The lieutenant had his game face on, but Jack knew what he was feeling. It would have given him some satisfaction to punish the man for allowing the whole sorry situation to happen. Jack cocked his head to the side, "You do realize that SG1 saved SG4's sorry asses yet again?"

The man nodded. "Yes, sir."

Satisfied, Jack gestured for Nakamura to join them.


	15. Search

Less than an hour later, O'Neill stood at the top of a ridge, looking down at a waterfall. Behind him, he could hear the sound of a zat firing in rapid succession as Teal'c vaporized the bodies of the Goa'uld and Jaffas. SG3 was policing up the area, making sure to obliterate the heavy tracks of the F.R.E.D. which had already been sent back to the gate.

Jack stared at the waterfall. It reminded him a lot of Yosemite Falls in California. He remembered a vacation with his parents back in the pre-ecology days to Yosemite where they sat in a campground in the evening, and watched the Fire Falls, a show where coals were pushed off of Glacier Point resulting in a stream of fiery light.

Jack shook the thought from his head. Nakamura had been right, there was no visible sign of a body on the rocks below, but it was impossible to tell for sure as the cliff bulged out about fifty feet below the top. He tried to imagine Jonas landing in the water, and somehow surviving. It was a hard sell.

Carter came up beside him. "Is there anyway down, sir?"

Jack shook his head. "We're going to need rappelling gear."

"Sir? There might be a better way," Nakamura said tentatively as he approached.

Jack glanced at the man. Keeping his distaste from his voice, he asked pointedly, "Well?"

Nakamura swallowed hard. "Uh, we hiked up from the gate. About four miles down the trail, there's a side trail that leads to the river below the falls. We could probably get there in less time than it would take to get the proper gear from the SGC."

Jack listened to the man as he stared off at the falls. It was a damn shame. This was a beautiful, tranquil place. Leave it to the Goa'uld to spoil it for everyone.

"Sir?" Carter prompted.

Jack shook off the reverie. He nodded, then called out, "Teal'c, we're going on a road trip. Reynolds, split your team. I want you to hold the gate, and this site."

Nakamura stood, holding his breath. Jack didn't much like him, but he wasn't going to throw away a decent asset. "Lieutenant, take point. I'll cover our six."

Nakamura moved out quickly, as if afraid Jack would change his mind. Teal'c hefted his staff weapon and followed, a lithe tiger slipping through the trees. Carter moved out, her P-90 locked and loaded. Satisfied with the disposition of his team, Jack checked his weapon, then stalked along behind.

Although Teal'c had assured him that these so-called holy men never traveled with more than four or five Jaffa, Jack had all of his senses alert. The trail started off with a gentle decline, but soon they reached the edge of the plateau that held the ruins, and a steep switchback section started.

The trail narrowed, and wound it's way through huge old trees that reminded Jack of the sequoias of California, except for the bluish tinge to the bark. Jack felt the hairs on his neck rise. An entire army of Jaffa could be hiding out there.

Up ahead on the trail, Teal'c was alert, but not showing any of the subtle signs that indicated he sensed any danger. Jack let out a deep breath. He trusted Teal'c's senses in these situations more than his own. Still, he didn't let down his guard.

The trail eventually leveled out into a slightly less steep decline, and as they came around a wall of boulders the size of houses, the sound of the waterfall became louder. Jack could feel the mist in the air as Nakamura suddenly turned off the trail onto what looked like a game trail.

Within a few yards, they reached a rough and tumble river. Jack was immediately put in mind of one of SG1's less successful team building exercises. They'd gone white water rafting on the Arkansas River. Daniel had almost drown, Carter had needed stitches, and Teal'c had watched the whole thing with a lofty disdain, refusing to get in the boat. In retrospect, it had probably been a bad idea to opt for the class five run down the Royal Gorge.

Jack looked upstream, and could see where the river came around a bend, with the mist of the waterfall hanging heavy in the air. Seeing that the waterfall wasn't much more than a mile upstream, Jack had to admit to himself that Nakamura was right. They'd saved a lot of time by hiking down that trail.

With a hand gesture, he started his team upstream. Unlike the trails, the way upstream was clogged with brush and willow-like trees overhanging the bank. It was made harder by the need to check under each bush and debris pile for any sign of a body.

Jack assigned Carter the job of checking the far bank through binoculars. Though if she found anything, he didn't know how they would get across to recover the body. He'd cross that bridge if it came to it.

By the time they reached the bend in the river, all three men were drenched and exhausted. Carter hadn't spotted anything, but pointed out a couple of places where the bank was hidden.

They continued on, and came within sight of the waterfall itself. If anything, it was even more impressive from below. The water fell straight and true for at least 150 feet. The pool at the base of the fall was relatively calm and had the dark color that hinted at great depth.

Jack stared pensively at the water, then asked a sudden question. "Lieutenant, was Jonas wearing his backpack?"

The question drew Teal'c and Carter's eyes to the deep pool. Nakamura frowned, nodding. "Yes, sir. But it was only a daypack, not a full one."

Jack nodded, then pointed to a tumble of rocks off to one side. "Alright, if we're going to find anything, it's going to be over there. Let's move people, it's already starting to get dark."

Jack led the way to the base of the cliff and started edging his way carefully along the water-slicked boulders. He looked up frequently, as he tried to judge where Jonas would have fallen. His team spread out, checking behind boulders as they went.

After an hour of fruitless searching, Jack had to concede that his Kelownan teammate had indeed hit the water. The noise of the waterfall was overwhelming, and Jack had to use hand signals to direct his team back down the riverbank to reach a point where consultation was possible.

As soon as he could be heard without having to scream, Jack signaled a stop and turned to Teal'c. "T, if the Goa'uld come looking, how thorough are they going to be? Will they drag that pool?"

Teal'c shook his head. "It would not be necessary, O'Neill. The Goa'uld have technology that can image through water. Should the Goa'uld suspect that something happened here, they will find anything that we leave behind."

"Wait, Teal'c… Anywhere we go, we leave behind traces. Skin cells, hairs… How good is that technology?" Carter asked worriedly.

"It is very good, Major Carter. As I stated before, if the Goa'uld suspect the Chy'tlk was killed on this world, they will search each rock and tree for evidence, and they will find it."

"So, what's the point, then?" Nakamura asked.

Teal'c glanced at Jack who jerked his head in an implicit request for the information. "The Chy'tlk are very secretive. They do not advertise where their shrines are. Unless they visit a Goa'uld occupied world, their whereabouts are never known. What we seek to do here, is insure that there is no reason for a Goa'uld to think that anything happened on this planet."

Jack ran his hand over his face. "All right. Lieutenant, did you see any place nearby to set up a camp?"

"No sir. The plateau is really the only place with any level ground."

Jack nodded, then raised his hand to pluck his radio from his shoulder. "SG3, this is Colonel O'Neill."

"Reynolds here. Did you find anything?"

"No. It's getting dark. Set up camp for the night, we're on our way back."

"Camp? Colonel, with the ring platform, we can go back to base quicker than we could set anything up."

Jack felt a flush of anger. "We're not leaving this world until we've found Jonas. Got it?"

"Yes sir." Reynolds quick response told Jack that he had snapped harder than he'd intended. He glanced around, but Carter and Teal'c both seemed unfazed. He didn't care what Nakamura thought.

"All right, let's get back up to the plateau. I want an early start tomorrow."

Without comment, his team headed back the way they had come.


	16. Morning

In the wee hours of the next morning, Jack stood at the edge of the plateau, arms resting on his P-90. As he watched the Aurora Borealis of this world dance across the nighttime sky, he couldn't help but remember the summer evening, years ago, when he and Sarah had visited Alaska, and landed up making love under the Northern Lights. It was a bittersweet memory, but one Jack had cherished over the years.

He wondered briefly if Jonas had seen the same lights when he'd taken the late watch, and what the Kelownan would have made of them. Did they have anything similar on Kelowna? Or was this just another first that had him smiling goofily in the night? Jack felt a soft pang of sorrow that he'd never know the answer to that question.

Disgusted with himself at the overt sentimentality, he turned his back on the fireworks in the sky, and began another perimeter circuit. He knew his team would have objected to his taking a watch, especially the dreaded dogwatch. But with two critical points to hold, the camp and the gate, there was no choice but to use every member of the search party. As it was, Nakamura had practically begged Jack to let him take a double watch from midnight to morning. Jack had flatly refused.

He sighed as he continued on his circuit. Nakamura was desperate to atone for the actions of his team. While Jack could definitely understand the man's need, he couldn't bring himself to forgive the actions that led to the death of a member of his team.

Two deaths in less than a year. Well, maybe two. Jack still hadn't decided if the visions he'd had of Daniel while in Ba'al's prison were real or just fevered imagination. The Daniel he knew would not have simply stood by while Jack was being tortured. That argued for the incident just being his imagination. But then, Jack could not accept that his imagination would have shown him Daniel with all of his bizarro twisted logic either.

Of course, things weren't black and white with Daniel. They never had been. Jonas was a whole different matter. The kid was straight forward, without the constant little jabs that Daniel had so delighted in. And he was just as straightforwardly dead. If the blast from the ribbon device hadn't killed him, the fall from the cliff would have. And if he hadn't died on impact, then he drowned, pure and simple.

Jack clenched his jaw. He didn't know what the kid's beliefs were, but he intended to see that he got a full military burial. It was the least they could do for him. He scanned the sky again, anxious for that first glimmer of dawn.

He didn't know why he had the time running out tingle. It surely wouldn't matter to Jonas if they found his body today or a week from today. And Teal'c had assured him that the likelihood of a Gou'ald or Jaffa showing up was remote. Still, he wanted the day to come so he could get out there and continue the search.

To his relief, the Northern Lights were fading and the sky to the East was starting to lighten. He finished his circuit and headed to the campfire that had burned low over the last hour. Taking a long stick, he poked it into flame then added additional wood. The campfire was not strictly necessary, and would entail extra work in the morning to insure that all trace was obliterated. But Jack was well aware of the psychological impact that a warm fire had, and the circumstances didn't require the harder, boots on type of camp.

He made a pot of coffee, and started heating water for breakfast. As soon as his the quiet sounds of preparation began, Teal'c appeared from his tent, coming to stand in silent companionship. Jack acknowledged his friend with a nod and continued his work.

Within a few minutes, Carter appeared, tousled and sleepy-eyed. She passed by her teammates without a sound, heading for the area designated for latrine functions. Well used to her habits, Jack and Teal'c made no comment.

By the time she reappeared, Jack had the coffee ready, and without a word, handed her a steaming cup, which she accepted with a grateful smile. The three team members stood eating their breakfast as they had a thousand times before over the years. The hole made by the loss of their teammate, and now the lesser hole made by Jonas' absence was an unacknowledged grief hanging in the air.

Finishing his oatmeal, Jack said quietly, "We'll head down river for a couple of miles. If we don't find anything, we'll look for a ford over the river, check the other side."

"What about dragging that pool under the falls, sir?"

Jack glanced at Carter. It was obvious that's where she thought the body would be. "We'll do it if it's necessary, but I want to eliminate the river first."

"Yes sir," she replied, her eyes on the sky.

Jack frowned, he knew what she was thinking. "We need daylight. I'm not risking anyone getting injured if waiting another half hour will prevent it."

"O'Neill, I believe it is light enough to make our way down to the cutoff to the river. Would we not save time by being at the starting point of our search as soon as possible?"

Jack's eyebrows went up in surprise. He hadn't expected impatience from Teal'c. "You're sure there aren't any Jaffa on the way?"

"The Chy'tlk would not have disclosed his itinerary. Of that, I am sure. I can not be sure that another Goa'uld would not come to this planet for other reasons, but it would seem unlikely."

Jack had a passing thought that SG1 seemed to specialize in unlikely. With a frown he asked, "Then what's the hurry?"

A minute raise of the eyebrow communicated Teal'c's surprise. "O'Neill, do you not believe that we will find Jonas Quinn alive?"

Jack felt his own eyebrows climb. It was Carter who answered, shaking her head sadly. "It's pretty unlikely Teal'c. That drop from the cliff is a hundred and sixty-three feet. For a human, that would be fatal, unless you hit the water just right, and I doubt he would have been conscious at that point. Not with that ribbon device. Remember, I got hit like that in Egypt when Osiris took over Daniel's friend."

"Has not Doctor Frasier said that Jonas Quinn is unlike other humans? I have worked with him in training, and I believe he is much stronger than other humans."

Jack slowly shook his head. "I'm with Carter on this, T. I don't think there is much hope."

Something flickered across Teal'c's face and after a moment, he said softly, "Hope is a word I never knew before I met you, O'Neill."

Jack blinked. He felt rather than saw Carter straighten beside him. Nodding, Jack said, "You're right. Thank you for the reminder. All right, let's get ready to roll."

Jack strode over to Chuck Reynolds' tent, grabbing the pole, giving it a shake. "Colonel! Up and at 'em!"

Reynolds acknowledged with a gruff voice, and Jack turned back to his team. Both Teal'c and Carter were gearing up. Having stood the last watch, Jack needed only to hook up the P-90 he had set aside to eat his breakfast.

By the time the teammates were ready, Reynolds and his team, including Nakamura had stumbled out of their tents. "Colonel, we're heading down to the river. Get your people fed, set a guard and join us."

"Yes sir. Understood."

Although he was still sleep tousled, Reynolds response was sharp. Jack nodded in satisfaction, and gestured for his team to move out. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Nakamura making an aborted movement to join them, but the man stopped himself without Jack having to say a word.


	17. Rescue

Jack looked up at the hail. SG1 had been slowly making its way down stream for the last thirty minutes with no success. Jack watched as SG3 along with Lt. Nakamura jogged to catch up. Frowning, Jack barked out a question, "Reynolds, didn't I tell you to leave a guard on the camp?"

Reynolds nodded sharply as he stepped up. "Yes sir. General Hammond sent SG6 through to give us a hand. They've got our back."

Jack nodded, immediately seeing the general's logic. Committing three teams to the search would signal to the entire base Jonas' worth and importance in the scheme of things. "All right. I want you and your boys to find a place to cross the river. Check the other bank."

Reynolds suppressed a sigh as he eyed the swiftly moving water. "Yes sir. You want Nakamura with you?"

Jack pressed his lips together in distaste, but as much as he would have preferred to send the man away, common sense dictated that he needed the extra set of eyes on his side of the river. "Yeah. Get moving, and be careful crossing that water."

Reynolds nodded, and signaling his men, moved out. Jack glanced over at Nakamura, who had his game face on, and nodded for him to proceed. Expelling a deep breath, the lieutenant headed after Teal'c and Carter who had gotten a couple hundred yards ahead.

For the next hour, Jack had directed his team searching down the riverside. They stood together at the moment, looking at a dismaying sight. The river made a sharp bend then had narrowed to a steep rough water chute ending in another waterfall.

Holding on to the hope that Teal'c had raised in the early dawn was getting harder by the minute for Jack. With a shake of his head, he said, "All right, let's keep moving. That bend might have made a backwater. We'll check that, and as far as the falls, then we'll decide what to do next."

The team moved out, eyes scanning the riverbank for any sign. Jack followed along, with his eyes on the surrounding forest. He was willing to accept Teal'c's assessment that a Jaffa ambush was unlikely, but that didn't mean there were no other dangers to be had. He wasn't going to take the chance that the local equivalent of a bear or mountain lion wouldn't like to taste a little haunch of Tau'ri.

"O'Neill." Teal'c didn't raise his voice, but managed to convey urgency nonetheless. Jack hurried to where the big Jaffa had knelt to examine something on the ground.

Jack looked at the ground and frowned. Though he prided himself on his tracking ability, he could see nothing any different than any other random spot of dirt. "Whatcha got, T?"

"He came out of the river here."

"Really? Are you sure?" Carter had crowded in trying to see what had alerted her teammate.

"Yes. The trail leads that way." Teal'c gestured with his staff weapon.

"Are you sure it was Mr. Quinn and not some animal?" Nakamura asked doubtfully.

Jack felt his temper flare. "If Teal'c says it was Jonas, then it was Jonas," he said coldly, stepping up into Nakamura's face.

The lieutenant paled, and with a hard swallow, nodded. "Yes, sir."

The younger man backed away, eyes down, and Jack could sense Carter and Teal'c stiffening, preparing to intervene if necessary. Jack took a calming breath, and felt a tinge of relief that the overwhelming anger of the last several days wasn't there.

He turned away, and triggered his radio. "SG1 to SG3. Reynolds, we've found a trail over here. SG1 is going to follow. I'll leave Nakamura here as a guide. Get over here as quick as you can."

"Understood, Colonel. We're on our way."

"Teal'c, you're on point. Let's go find him."

With an incline of his head, the Jaffa started off into the trees of the hillside. Jack waited until Carter had also started out. Then with a hard stare to make sure Nakamura knew to stay where he was, Jack moved off.

The team hadn't gone more than a few yards, before Carter made a soft sound of distress. She leaned over and picked up a tac vest that had fallen into the leaves at the base of a tree. Jack moved up and glanced at the tattered garment. His jaw tightened at the evidence of damage. The vests were designed to put up with a lot of abuse, and it would take a lot to rip it up.

Carter held one section closer to her eyes, rubbing a thumb across the tough material. "This looks like blood, sir," she said quietly.

"It can't be that bad, Carter. He's still moving."

Jack gestured for Carter to move out. Teal'c had gone on, and was visible about 100 yards downhill, again kneeling as he read the signs. Jack pulled out his knife and cut a slash in the bark of a tree as a guide for SG3.

The two teammates moved downhill to where Teal'c awaited them. The Jaffa looked up at his commander, then pointed to marks on the ground. Jack could see one clear boot print. "I believe JonasQuinn is injured. He supports his weight with a stick."

"How old is this? How far ahead is he, Teal'c?"

"Perhaps three hours."

Carter pulled out a compass. "He's trying to make it to the gate, sir."

"He does not expect rescue." Teal'c's tone was dark. Jack glanced at his friend's impassive face, and saw the underlying anger.

Adjusting his cap, Jack looked off down the hill. "Well, let's go surprise him."

Teal'c stalked off down the hill. Jack waved Carter to the left flank, and he took the right. As they continued on, Jack occasionally marked a tree. After an hour or so, it was obvious that Jonas was making a beeline to the gate.

Jack put out a call to SG6. "Barnes, we've found Jonas' trail, he's headed straight for the gate. Get your team there, and watch for him coming in from the southwest."

"Yes, sir."

The team continued on, occasionally picking up pieces of gear that Jonas dropped on the way. As they hit rockier ground, Teal'c was often forced to cast about to find the trail, and Jack realized if it weren't for the 'breadcrumbs' that Jonas was leaving behind, they would have been utterly lost.

He wondered if it was intentional. Jonas was a glass half-full kind of guy, and Jack suspected that even though he might not expect rescue, he was perhaps hoping for it all the same. Jack would never admit it, but he found an obscure comfort in the idea.

The trail continued pretty much straight as an arrow, until the team came out on a ledge. It was more like a cliff face, dropping a good twenty five feet to the trees below.

The team stood looking down, and Jack heaved a sigh. "All right, Teal'c, you and Carter head left, I'll head right. Find a way down, and if you see any signs, holler."

Jack started out checking for any sign of a way down. He found what he was looking for some hundred yards away from his starting point. A sharp gully led to a landslide. The gully was steep, and the moraine at the bottom was unstable and Jack didn't really think that Jonas would have attempted it, but he wanted to get down to the bottom as quickly as he could, so he slipped and slid his way down.

Once at the bottom, he strode the few steps to the treeline, and looked back. From where he stood, he couldn't see any sign of any other way down. Clicking on his radio, he said, "Carter, come in."

"Yes, sir."

"Have you found anything?"

"Yes and no, sir. The cliff ends up here at a rockfall. There are boulders that we can climb down on, but if Jonas is as injured as we think he is, he'd never be able to negotiate it."

"All right. I found a gully. It may have been his only choice. Come on down the rock fall, and sweep the base of the cliff until you come to a gully with a moraine at its base. I'll move ahead."

"Understood, sir."

Jack turned and looked at the trees. There was no discernable path, and nothing to show that he wasn't the first human to come this way. He started walking, heading at an angle to get to the gate. He kept his P90 up and ready.

There were no pieces of equipment or any other sign that Jonas had passed this way, but Jack's sixth sense told him he was on the right path. The old growth trees meant that there was very little in the way of underbrush. The light was filtered to a soft gloom, and the air had a slight bite to it.

When Jack saw a lightening of the gloom ahead, he strode forward, and broke out from under the trees into a meadow. Jack frowned as he realized that unlike the forest with its scattered leaf litter, the meadow was covered in tall grass and flowerlike things. If Jonas had crossed this meadow, there should have been a trail, and there was nothing of the kind. He scanned the trees at the far side of the grass, and was surprised to see the top of the distant stargate visible.

Looking to the left and right, he realized that the meadow was at least a couple hundred yards in either direction. Deciding he'd wait until his team caught up, he turned back to the forest, intending to sit against one of the trees while he waited.

He was reaching for his radio, when he realized someone else had the same idea. He let out a sigh of relief. Jonas was about fifteen feet away leaning against a tree, facing the meadow. Jack noted the rough tree branch at the Kelownan's side.

The young man was leaned back, his eyes closed, and Jack realized he was in bad shape. His skin was gray, and bluish around the lips. Jack could hear the labored, ragged breathing as he strode up. Jonas right leg was obviously broken, and there were bruises visible up his right arm and onto his neck and face.

Jack stepped on a twig as he strode over, and Jonas' eyes snapped open, and his left hand came up pointing his 9mm gun straight at Jack's heart. Jack stopped in his tracks, and waited for Jonas to lower the gun. When it didn't happen, Jack noticed a vague look in the young man's eyes.

"Jonas? Whatcha doing?" Jack asked softly.

Jonas blinked and some clarity seemed to come to him. "Colonel? Wha… What are you doing here, sir?"

"Where else would I be when a teammate is in trouble?"

Jonas frowned. "Major Carter's in trouble? Teal'c?"

Jack fought back the irritation and said gently, "No, Jonas. You. You're in trouble. Unless you think it's normal to walk to the gate with a broken leg."

Jonas' eyes widened, and he said urgently, "Sir, there are Jaffa here. Jaffa and a Goa'uld. SG4's in danger."

Jack put a hand on the young man's shoulder to stop his attempt to rise. "Relax, Jonas. SG4 is back at Stargate Command."

Something passed behind the Kelownan's eyes, and he said softly, "Oh."

"What?"

Jonas glanced away. "Uh, nothing sir. Um, are they okay?"

"They're alive. Thanks to you."

That brought the young man's head up. "Me, sir?" He asked confusedly.

"You took out the Goa'uld, and one of the Jaffa. That gave SG4 the chance they needed. The took down the rest of the Jaffa."

"But… I only saw four Jaffa. How did they beat the rest of them?"

"There were only four. The Goa'uld was some kind of crazy ass loner. Hang on a minute."

Jack stood up and radioed his team. "Carter, Teal'c I've got him. Head straight through the trees until you hit the meadow. We're right there."

"Sir, is he…"

"Alive and annoying? Yes, Carter, he is."

Jack clicked his radio. "SG6, Barnes, can you triangulate on my signal? We're about 5 clicks out from the gate. We're going to need MedEvac here."

"Sir, keep your line open… Okay we've got it. Sir, Dr. Frasier wants to know if there is any place to land near you."

"Land? What do you mean, Major?"

"Sir, we're bringing through the Helevac."

Jack felt his eyebrows rise. The Helevac was an ultralight helicopter designed for medical evacuations in the mountains of Afghanistan. It was top secret, and had only become available to Stargate Command a few weeks earlier.

"Yeah, we're at the edge of a meadow. It's on a slope, but it's several hundred feet wide. Bring it on up."

Jack turned back to Jonas, and saw a sad face quickly masked. "Jonas? You okay?"

Coughing suddenly, Jonas nodded. The coughing fit passed as Jack crouched down next to his teammate. "You don't sound so good, there. Don't worry, they're sending an evac team. We'll have you safely into Doc Frasier's clutches before you know it."

"Yes sir," Jonas said in a subdued tone, never looking at his commander.

"Okay, Jonas, what's the problem?"

"Sir?"

"I'm not an idiot. Tell me what's wrong." Jack used a command tone.

The sad look came back onto the younger man's face. "I don't mean to be annoying, Colonel."

Jack rocked back on his heels. "You're not… Naw, I'm not going to lie to you. You do annoy me, but don't take it personally. Just about everybody does."

Jonas started to shake his head, but got caught up in another coughing fit. When it passed, he sat trying to catch his breath for a moment. Finally he tried shaking his head again, and said, "Sir, my uh, talent for annoying people is long-standing. One of my old professors used to say I'd try the patience of a rock."

"Well, don't worry about it. Okay, now, while we're waiting… What's this I hear about you thinking I blame you for what happened in Antarctica?"

Jonas frowned. "I wish Major Carter hadn't mentioned that, sir. I never really thought that. I was just, um, a bit down at the time."

Jack nodded. "I've been down myself on occasion. Well, Jonas, let me set you straight. When Aiyanna came into the bunkroom to heal us, I was still conscious. When she tried to heal me, I ordered her to do you first. If it's anybody's fault, it's mine."

Jonas' eyes widened. "You did? Really?"

"Yes, Jonas, really. I'm your commanding officer. It's my duty to take care of you. And before you ask, if I had to do it again, I wouldn't have changed a thing," Jack said, emphatically. Then he paused and shrugged. "Except maybe letting that damn snake have a whack at me."

Jonas vehemently shook his head, and then squeezed his eyes shut, the pain apparent on his face. After a few moments, he said weakly, "No sir. I know the experience was a disaster, but despite everything that happened, Kanan still saved your life, and I am very glad that he did."

There wasn't anything Jack could say to that, so he just remained silent. After a few moments, Jonas opened his eyes. "Um, can I ask, how are you feeling, sir?"

"I'm fine. Sarcophagus fixed me right up."

Jonas frowned and said warily, "Uh, from the reports I've read on it, there are issues with addiction."

Jack shook his head. "Trust me. If I never see another one of those freakin' coffins it will be too soon."

"So, you're really all right?"

Jack fixed the young man with a gimlet eye. "I said so, didn't I? What's with the interrogation, Jonas? I told you, you weren't responsible. I don't blame you. What else is there to know?"

Jonas ventured a shrug. "Things just go better when you're around."

"Yeah, that's another thing I want to address. When we get back to base, and Doc Frasier has fixed you up, I want a full written report from you. I want the name of every last bastard that has mistreated you, Jonas. Every last one of them."

Jonas' eyes widened. "Uh, no, sir, that won't be necessary."

"Okay, I know you're injured, and you don't feel well and all, but still, I expect you to understand an order when you hear it."

"Colonel, people were just reacting to a bad situation. They thought you were hurt because of my actions. I don't blame them, sir. And when the truth gets out, that you ordered Aiyanna to save me first, they'll all stop. It's okay, sir. Really."

Jack's face turned hard. "Jonas, a full written report. Got it?"

Jonas' face fell into impassiveness. "Yes, sir. I understand."

Jack was pretty sure the younger man didn't really understand, despite what he said, but there was no way Jack was going to let it pass. Stargate Command was Earth's front line defense against any alien incursion, and as such had to maintain the highest standards possible.

What Jonas saw as an understandable human reaction, Jack saw as insubordination of the worst kind, undermining the authority and prestige of the SGC. There was no place on the base for the grade school bullying that he had heard about, and he was determined to weed it out.

Jack caught movement out of the corner of his eye. "Teal'c, Carter, over here." Jack called out to his teammates as they appeared at the meadow's edge.

Carter hurried over, Teal'c moving gracefully in her wake. "Jonas! Boy, am I glad to see you!"

Jonas ventured his own smile. "I'm glad to see you too, major."

Carter squatted down next to her injured teammate. "You don't look so good."

Jonas shrugged slightly. "Yes, Colonel O'Neill already mentioned that. It's kind of hard to breathe. It hurts any time I try to take a deep breath."

"Sounds like broken ribs." Sam looked over at her commander. "Sir, is MedEvac on the way?"

"Better. They're sending the Helevac."

Carter's eyebrows rose. "Wow."

"Only the best for SG1."

"Jonas Quinn, you fought bravely." Teal'c said with a finality that seemed to etch the words in stone.

Jonas looked up at the tall Jaffa. "Uh, no, Teal'c, not really. I wasn't brave at all."

"You took out a Goa'uld, and a First Prime, Jonas," Sam said, her head cocked to one side.

"That was just luck, Major. And dumb luck at that. I was behind them. They didn't know I was there."

"And yet, you did not attempt to remain hiding. You attacked to defend those who had no right to ask for your help."

Jonas frowned. "No, you don't understand, Teal'c. That Goa'uld had a ribbon device. It was hurting Major Aldritch. I couldn't just stay hidden. It would have killed him."

"Yes," Teal'c said serenely, causing Jonas to frown in confusion.

Sam chuckled, softly. "Well, don't worry about it right now. Hear that? That's your ride home."

Jack had already turned to face the stargate, the regular thump of the helicopter shattering the relative quiet of the forest. It took a few minutes, but finally the Helevac was visible flying low over the trees.

It seemed a flimsy design, all guy wires and Mylar, but Jack knew from the reports that it was far sturdier than it looked. Seeing it was slightly off course, Jack waved both of his arms over his head. The pilot had apparently been watching for him, and the machine immediately zeroed in on the team.

Jack watched as the machine approached, then turned away as the powerful down draft stirred up dirt and plant debris. It was only because of that turn that he caught a glimpse of a frightened look on Jonas' face.

Realizing his commander was watching him, Jonas carefully schooled his look to bland acceptance. Jack couldn't help but frown. Jonas had always been a tech geek, loving any and all of the technology that anyone shared with him. Jack also knew the kid liked flying.

Not willing to embarrass the younger man, Jack held his peace, and turned back to the helicopter that had just been shut down. He recognized the pilot as one of Frasier's people, a physician's assistant. The man hauled a large pack out and headed over.

"Delong, right?" Jack asked as the man walked up.

"Yes sir. Dr. Frasier sent me to get Quinn stabilized and back to the gate." With a nod, he stepped around Jack and moved to Jonas' side.

Jack's eyes narrowed at the stiffness in the man's manner. With a sudden suspicion, he looked at Jonas. The Kelownan was studiously looking anywhere but at the medic at his side. Jack felt his anger rise. It was obvious that the medic was one of the people who'd been tormenting his teammate.

Jack worked his jaw to relieve the tension. With Jonas' three teammates scrutinizing his every move, it was unlikely that Delong would try anything. In fact, the slight tremor of the man's hand told Jack that he was very aware that Jonas was not the enemy that he had believed.

Jack could read the man like a book. He was taking extra care to be gentle with the injured Kelownan. Trying to make up for bad behavior. In quick order, he had Jonas' leg splinted, his ribs wrapped, and his neck in a brace.

Teal'c brought over the stretcher, and when Delong would have lifted Jonas' legs, Carter pushed the man to the side, and together with Teal'c, gently moved their teammate onto the stretcher. Delong swallowed hard, and moved up to help carry the stretcher to the helicopter, but Jack was there before him, staring hard at the man as he lifted one end.

The Helevac was designed to carry only the pilot and one passenger. The passenger was actually slung below the pilot in an enclosed pod. As they reached the pod, Jonas started coughing, and with Carter's help, Jack lifted the young man into a sitting position.

The deep wet, racking coughs continued for several minutes, and Delong, who at first had pulled out an inhaler, finally pulled out a syringe. The coughing finally devolved into gasps, and Jonas shook his head. Eyeing the pod, he said, "Colonel, I don't think I can do this."

"It's only five minutes, Jonas. Probably less," Carter replied sympathetically.

"Uh, excuse me, sir," Delong ventured tentatively. From the looks that both Carter and Teal'c shot the man, Jack had no doubt that they, too, realized he had mistreated Jonas. The man colored under the hard stares. "The top of the rescue pod is detachable. Mr. Quinn can sit upright to help his breathing."

Jack paused long enough to let the man know he wasn't being forgiven. "Fine. Do it."

Now visibly shaking, Delong fumbled with the pod until Teal'c stepped in and helped him. Still showing his misgivings, Jonas allowed himself to be settled into the pod. He wasn't sitting straight up, but rather lying back as if in a hospital bed, but still, his head was elevated enough that he'd be able to breathe for the short flight back to the gate.

When Delong moved to take the pilot's seat, Jack barred his way with an arm. "No."

"Sir?"

Jack looked the man in the eye. "I'll fly him."

Delong frowned, shaking his head. "Colonel, forgive me, but you aren't checked out on this vehicle. I can't let you do it."

Jack felt all of the anger that he had been pushing down well up. He reached out to grab the man, but Carter insinuated herself between them. "That's rank insubordination, mister. You will stand down, now," she snarled.

Seeing the fury in the colonel's eyes, Delong stepped back, hands held up in a warding motion. "Uh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean… I mean, I just…"

The man backed right into Teal'c, who stood like a wall of steel. Delong yelped, and turned to face the new threat, tripping over his feet, and falling on his ass. The man was so frantic, that Jack was able to let go of his anger. "Teal'c."

The big Jaffa glanced over and shifted minutely, giving Jack the definite impression that he'd gone from Defcon 1 to Defcon 2. Maybe 1 ½.

"Sir? Can we go now?"

Jack turned to see Jonas had watched the entire scene. Instead of satisfaction that his teammates were supporting him, Jonas' face only showed a great weariness. Jack let out a breath. "We're outta here." Turning back to Carter and Teal'c, he said coldly, "Bring him."

"Yes sir." Carter said firmly.

Jack turned back to the helicopter, and took his place in the pilot's seat. A quick glance at the controls told him that it was essentially a simplified version the Apache helicopters he had trained on early in his career. Flipping switches, he got the rotors moving, and waited for the power to build up.

With his flight gauges tipping into the green, he opened the throttle, and pulled back on the stick. The little bird lifted off the ground. Jack used the foot controls to get pointed back toward the gate, and with a light pressure on the stick, got the helicopter moving forward.

The machine was slow, and responded to Jack's control a bit sluggishly, but it flew high enough to clear the trees, and with the stargate visible, it was only a matter of a few minutes before Jack was being waved in by members of SG6.

As Jack landed, he felt a certain satisfaction as Janet Frasier came running up. He looked down and found Jonas with a real grin on his face. "Do you think I could learn to fly this thing?"

Jack felt a fondness for the man, and with a grin of his own, said, "Teach you myself. You just get better."

Frasier had her stethoscope out and as she placed it in her ears, she asked severely, "Colonel, where is my P.A.?"

"He decided to walk," Jack said flatly. When Frasier shot him a look, he said, "What? It's a nice day."

She pursed her lips briefly, but when she turned back to Jonas, she smiled encouragingly. "You're almost home, Jonas."

Jonas smiled, but it was obvious that he was fading fast. Frasier's movements were quick and professional, and within a minute she was waving over two beefy orderlies who transferred Jonas with no muss or fuss to a stretcher which they then carried through the open stargate.

Jack was torn between staying with the Kelownan, or waiting for the rest of his team. Frasier paused in front of the gate. "By the time the rest of your team gets here, I'll have a preliminary report ready for you, Colonel."

Jack nodded and turned back with a sigh to await Teal'c and Carter.


	18. Epilogue

Jonas Quinn limped down the corridors of Stargate Command, slightly disconcerted by all of the new faces. It saddened him that he was responsible for what turned out to be a fairly large change of personnel.

He knew that Colonel O'Neill thought he hadn't understood why it was necessary for him to provide a list of disrespectful members of the SGC, but he'd understood completely. Colonel O'Neill always seemed to forget that Jonas had actually grown up on a militaristic world. He absolutely understood discipline and duty.

And even if he hadn't, his experiences in the infirmary would have convinced him. He hadn't been back from his ordeal on P8Z-687 for more than a day, when he was visited by a shy botanist, who had learned that Jonas would be making a report on abuses in the SGC.

The botanist, Dr. Takai, had not been able to look Jonas in the eye when he explained the torment he'd been put through at the hands of a quartermaster sergeant. When Jonas asked why he hadn't told the man's superior officer, Takai had said that he had, only to be told that the SGC would not put up with disrespect to its soldiers. The man had shaken his head and confessed that despite his delight and wonder at working with off world plants, he was on the verge of quitting.

And Takai was only the first. After that visit, Jonas had been approached by no fewer than a dozen other civilians with tales of threats and bodily harm. Jonas had listened to every report, and once he was released from care by Dr. Frasier, he had done his own quiet investigation to insure that none of the people he was naming were the subject of false accusations.

When he had made his formal report to both Colonel O'Neill and General Hammond, they had been shocked and angered at what had been happening under their noses. General Hammond in particular was upset, feeling that it was a failure of his leadership that such a culture could have developed. Jonas wasn't a party to a series of staff meetings that Hammond had conducted with all of his team leaders, but for several days, there were grim faces all throughout the base.

In the end, over thirty people had been dismissed or reassigned, all with career-ending notations in their files. Major Aldritch was given the option of a medical discharge, rather than facing serious charges. Jonas felt no animosity toward the man. The torture with the ribbon device had left Aldritch with debilitating headaches that were a far more severe punishment than any Jonas would have suggested.

To Jonas' mild surprise, there had been no recriminations from the military members of the SGC. He had expected to be ostracized for his part in the dismissals, but instead, he found people were treating him with more respect, and he'd even made several friends in the various departments.

"JONAS!"

With a sigh, Jonas turned to face Major Carter's stormy face. "Yes, Major?"

"Where is your cane?"

Jonas fought the temptation to roll his eyes. "It's back at my desk. I couldn't use it and carry these reports."

"Janet told you to use the cane. If she finds you out here, she'll kick your butt."

Jonas shook his head. "Major, I'm still working on the inscriptions that I found on P8Z-687. I didn't want to stop, but Dr. Frasier told me she'd kick my butt if I didn't eat regularly. Seems I'm in for butt pain no matter what I do."

Carter chuckled, and cocked her head to the side. "You know, anybody else would still be in a wheelchair, Jonas."

Jonas shrugged. "I heal fast."

"Three weeks after falling a hundred and sixty feet, and you're walking around? Yeah, I'd say you heal fast." Sam smiled and shook her head. "Well, let's go get you off that leg. I hear it's Mexican for lunch."

Jonas licked his lips in anticipation. "Sounds good."

With Major Carter at his side, Jonas entered the commissary. He reflected on the difference since the last time he'd had lunch with Sam Carter. That time, he'd had to keep his eyes open for feet stuck out to trip him, or bowls of hot soup dumped on him. He hadn't been able to go through the service line knowing if he did, his food would be deliberately spoiled by SFC. Wright.

This time several people called greetings to him, and the server behind the counter, a grizzled old veteran named Khan, made sure he got an extra portion of the enchiladas he liked. No one sneered when he snagged a piece of banana cream pie, and he couldn't help the small smile when he took his tray to a table in the middle of the room.

Carter sat down across from him, and with a cocked eyebrow, asked, "Jonas?"

His smile broadened, "Yes, Major?"

Major Carter paused for a moment and pursed her lips. "You know, I think it's about time we dropped the major, don't you? Call me Sam."

Feeling a sudden warmth, Jonas ducked his head. "Okay… Sam."

"So, what have you figured out about those inscriptions?" Sam asked as she lifted a forkful of rice to her mouth.

Jonas shook his head. "Not a lot. The language is not one that I find any record of. I'm trying to piece it together from the pictures they were captioning, but I don't really have a context, so I'm not having a lot of luck."

"Well, don't worry about it. It's pretty obvious from the pictures that there isn't much chance of finding anything that will help us against the Goa'uld."

Sighing, Jonas said, "You know, if I could just go back. Just for a couple of days…"

Sam shook her head vehemently. "Not worth the risk. General Hammond has locked the address out of the dialing computer, and I have to say, I agree one hundred per cent. You heard what Teal'c said. We can't afford to have the System Lords gang up on us. We can barely handle them when they're at each other's throats."

Conceding, Jonas nodded, and dug into his lunch. The two teammates ate together in companionable silence. Jonas was just reaching for his slice of pie, when Colonel O'Neill came up to their table. "There you are. I've been looking for you,"

Jonas looked up, expecting to find than O'Neill was addressing Carter. To his surprise the man was looking directly at him. "Me, sir?"

"Yes, you. I've brought you some light reading." With that the Colonel dumped an armload of books on the table.

Curious, Jonas picked up the book on the top of the pile. Frowning, he read, "Principles of Flight?"

"Yes, Jonas. I know you think you're hot stuff, but even you need to study if you're going to learn to fly helicopters."

Jonas sucked in a sudden breath. Hardly daring to hope, he blurted out, "Really?"

"Really," Jack deadpanned. "I figure by the time you've read these books, your leg will be well enough to start training."

Jonas fought to keep a straight face as he said, "By tomorrow? I'm not sure Dr. Frasier will agree."

Jack looked at the tall pile of thick textbooks with a frown. Sam snickered, and Jack suddenly got the joke. "Oh, ha, ha. You're hilarious, you know that?"

Jonas smiled, warmed by the sense of finally belonging with his team. Jack shook his head and walked away, and Sam stood up, picking up her dishes. With a smile, she said, "I've got to go. See you later?"

Jonas nodded. "Absolutely. Oh, and Sam? Thanks."

"For what?"

Jonas shrugged happily. "Just for everything. Thanks for everything."

Sam cocked her eyebrow, and smiled. "You're a doofus, Jonas."

Jonas laughed as Sam walked away. He looked from his translation pages to the pile of books and back again. With a sense of pure happiness, he put the translation aside, and picked up a book and started to read.

The End.


End file.
